Brazil’s undisputed star? Neymar’s World Cup race against time

Neymar was lying in bed as Ousmane Dembele was named the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner while playing online poker while recovering from his third injury of the year.

The 33-year-old Brazilian ace came in third place overall, winning about £73,800 in prize money.

It was comforting to see the Barcelona player who had once taken his place as the winner of a long-awaited award.

The 33-year-old forward hasn’t lived up to expectations since returning to his boyhood club Santos in January, drawing more attention for similar incidents to his football.

After 12 years away, his return to his native country was intended to give him a chance to regain his form and, most importantly, to rekindle a passion for the game that had vanished after frustrating spells with Al Hilal and Paris St-Germain.

Instead, all parties involved have found it to be incredibly disappointing.

In Brazil, the main question that is being posed is whether Neymar will win the World Cup in 2026.

He has a short window of time.

Even the stars must provide evidence of fitness, according to the saying. In his Folha de S Paulo newspaper column from 1970, Tostao, the winner of the World Cup, wrote, “The clock is ticking [for him].

Neymar was not included in the announcement made by Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti for the upcoming games against South Korea and Japan on Wednesday.

After missing the Selecao for two years, “The Prince,” as he was dubbed when he was welcomed back at Santos in a reference to the king Pele, is yet to play under Ancelotti. His most recent appearance came in Uruguay’s 2-0 defeat in October 2023.

In the unlikely event that he will miss two friendly games in March 2026 to prove himself to Ancelotti before the announcement of the World Cup final list, he also has an injury doubt for the November games.

Former AC Milan and Roma legend Cafu remarked, “Neymar was Brazil’s undisputed star for 15 years, carrying enormous expectations and responsibility on his own.”

Neymar has missed 47% of Santos’ games this season, but he has also had a number of fitness issues, leading PSG to pay a world-record €222 million (£200 million) fee when he was still in action. In contrast, during his peak, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did it, leading PSG to pay Barca a record €222 million (£200 million) fee back in 2017.

Five of his nine goals have come against teams from lower-league leagues, including Inter de Limeira, Agua Santa, and then Inter de Limeira, all in the Sao Paulo State Championship.

The number 10 no longer seems to be the difference-maker he once was as Santos fights relegation in Brazil’s first tier, with only 50th in dribbles per game in the league.

Despite that, Ancelotti has argued that the forward has plenty of time to demonstrate his readiness for the World Cup.

His goal must be to be ready by June, he says. It’s irrelevant if he joins the squad in October, November, or March, the Italian claimed in an interview with L’Equipe.

Last month, Ancelotti allegedly attempted to protect Neymar by saying the star had been cut out because of health concerns.

Neymar later refuted it, saying that he was “wasn’t left out for technical reasons, and it has nothing to do with my physical condition.” Later, Vincelotti acknowledged that the decision was “a technical decision based on many factors.”

It certainly didn’t improve Neymar’s perception in terms of the general public.

Brazilians are divided on whether Neymar should be called up for his fourth World Cup, according to research from Datafolha, a respected polling company. 41% oppose the idea, compared to 48% who support it.

Neymar is Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals, but he hasn’t done much to improve his situation with his on-field behavior either.

He has argued with fans in stadiums three times in a row in the last three games of the summer, making it seem more out-of-control than usual.

The striker shed tears the following month after Santos was humiliated at home by Vasco da Gama, their biggest ever defeat.

He lost his patience when a reporter asked about his physical condition in a post-game interview, saying, “Again with this, mate.” I’ve already responded to this 500 times.

His father and agent Neymar Sr have also been asked the same question. “Neymar planned to spend five months in Santos,” Neymar said. What is it for? to get better. If Neymar could play, “amen,” he had previously said, causing outcry from supporters.

However, there is still a chance that Neymar’s golden years won’t be over and that he will be able to resurrect his career in the same way Ronaldo “Phenomenon” did in 2002 to win the World Cup and overcome criticism.

The legend from Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Inter Milan shares traits.

Ronaldo stated at a recent meeting with the forward in Sao Paulo, “He’s a crucial player for Brazil; there’s no one else like Neymar.”

“A minority of people think he’s neglecting his physical recovery, which is an exaggeration. Anyone who has ever played football is aware of how difficult it is to recover from a broken ankle and to regain rhythm and confidence. He is on time, exactly.