🔗 Share this article Brazil's Unquestioned Superstar? Neymar Jr's World Cup Race Against Time As Ousmane Dembele claimed the prestigious football award in late September, the Brazilian sensation was undergoing therapy for his latest physical setback of the year - simultaneously engaging in an virtual card tournament. The 33-year-old football star ultimately finished as second place, securing around seventy-three thousand pounds in tournament winnings. It was some consolation on a day when he had to witness the player who once replaced him at Barcelona lift the award he had long hoped to win. Since coming back to his boyhood club Santos in the new year, the experienced attacker has fallen short of expectations, attracting more attention for comparable situations than for his football. His return home after a dozen campaigns away was meant to be a chance for him to return to peak condition and, most importantly, restore a love of football that seemed diminished after disappointing periods with PSG and Al Hilal. Conversely, it has been widely disappointing for everyone concerned. This reflects the situation that the key issue being asked right now in Brazil is whether Neymar will participate in the upcoming global tournament. He's against the clock. "All players have to prove that they are fit. The time is passing [for him]," 1970 World Cup-winner Tostao commented in his newspaper column. On Wednesday, Brazil head coach the Italian tactician disclosed his squad for the forthcoming matches against South Korea and the Asian nation and, once again, Neymar was absent. "O Principe", as he was dubbed when received at Santos in a nod toward the king Pele, is yet to play under Ancelotti, having been missing from the Selecao for two years. He also remains an fitness concern for the November games, which, in the worst scenario, will leave him with only two exhibition games in March 2026 to demonstrate his worth to Ancelotti before the announcement of the definitive squad for the World Cup. "For 15 years, Neymar was Brazil's clear standout, bearing enormous expectations on his own," Brazilian icon Cafu said. "But no one wins the World Cup single-handedly. Placing all our hopes on him at the present time is challenging because he struggles to even play multiple matches in a row." 'Omission based on skill level signals deeper issues' Not only has Neymar had various physical concerns since his return to Brazil - he's been absent for 47% of Santos' matches this season - but, when he was available for selection, he was a distant from the player who during his peak dared to challenge the Argentine maestro and the Portuguese icon. Of his nine goal contributions so far, half have come against teams from lower tiers than Brazil's top flight - a scoring contribution against a lower-league side, followed by a goal and two assists versus Inter de Limeira, all in the regional competition. As Santos fight relegation in the Brazilian first tier, the playmaker no longer seems to be the difference maker he previously represented. Despite that, Ancelotti has maintained that the forward has sufficient months to show he is ready for the World Cup. "His aim must be to be prepared in summer. It doesn't matter if he's in the squad in October, November or spring," the Italian told L'Equipe newspaper. Ancelotti caused local discussion last month by reportedly trying to shield Neymar, suggesting the star had been omitted from the team over physical condition issues. But then Neymar himself contradicted this, saying he "was excluded for tactical decisions; it has no connection to my physical condition." In terms of popular view, it undoubtedly worsened the situation for Neymar. "If the player we have pinned our dreams on to win the World Cup is excluded for performance issues, obviously issues exist," Cafu said. Is a Ronaldo-style comeback possible for Neymar? Research from a leading polling institute found that the Brazilian public are split over whether Neymar should be called up for his next global tournament. With his 79 goals, Neymar is Brazil's all-time top scorer, but he hasn't helped his case much with his in-game attitude either. He seems more on edge than usual, having exchanged words with fans on several occasions in stadiums - it happened in three consecutive matches in July. The following month, the forward was left in tears after Santos endured a six-goal home defeat by Vasco da Gama - the worst result of his professional life. When questioned by a journalist about his physical state in a post-match interview, he also lost his patience: "Again with this, mate? I've answered this countless times already." The identical inquiry has been directed at his father and agent Neymar Sr as well. "Neymar's strategy was to remain for a limited period at Santos. For what? To regain fitness. If Neymar was able to feature, so be it," he previously explained, causing outrage among followers. There's still a slight hope, however, that Neymar's prime period aren't over and that he will be able to revive his career the same way forward Ronaldo "Phenomenon" did in the 2002 World Cup to overcome skepticism and physical setbacks to lead Brazil to the World Cup title. The former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan legend sees comparisons. "He's a vital player for Brazil - there's nobody like Neymar," Ronaldo stated during a recent appearance with the forward in Sao Paulo. "It's an exaggeration from a small group who believe he's ignoring his physical recovery. Those who have been in football understand completely how challenging it is to recover from an setback and regain rhythm and confidence. He's moving forward." The Brazilian forward has a few decisive months ahead to show that he's not the prince who stepped away from greatness.