There is not much time left for Neymar

In late September, when Ousmane Dembele won the 2025 Ballon d'Or, Neymar was lying in a hospital bed receiving treatment for his third injury of the year - while participating in an online poker tournament.

The 33-year-old Brazilian ace star eventually finished second in the poker tournament and received a bonus of approximately 73,800 pounds.

Poker tournament results may be a consolation as he watches the player who once took his place at Barcelona lift the Ballon d'Or he had always hoped for.

The 33-year-old striker has failed to live up to expectations since returning to his boyhood club Santos in January, with attention drawn more to off-field incidents than his performances on the football field.

Returning to his home team after 12 seasons away from his hometown should have been an opportunity for him to regain his form. More importantly, rediscovering his passion for football that seemed to have disappeared after frustrating spells with PSG and Riyadh Crescent.

However, all parties involved were disappointed with his performance.

The question that all Brazilians are most concerned about now is whether Neymar can enter the Brazilian national team's roster for the 2026 World Cup.

His time is running out.

"Even a star player must prove that he is healthy. For him, time is running out." Tostao, the 1970 World Cup champion, wrote in a column in Folha de Sao Paulo.

On October 5, Brazil coach Ancelotti announced the roster for the upcoming games against South Korea and Japan, and Neymar was once again missed.

When he returned to Santos, he was dubbed the "Prince" by people, rivaling "Ball King" Pele. But the "Prince" has not yet played in the Brazilian national team under Carlo Ancelotti. He has not played for the Selecao for two years. His last appearance was in Brazil's 0:2 loss to Uruguay in October 2023.

Due to injury, his ability to participate in the November game is still doubtful. In the worst-case scenario, he will only be able to participate in two friendlies in March 2026 to prove himself to Ancelotti before the final World Cup squad is announced.

Former AC Milan and Roma legendary star Cafu said: "For 15 years, Neymar has been the undisputed superstar of Brazil, and he shoulders huge expectations and responsibilities."

"But no one can win the World Cup alone. It is difficult to pin all hopes on him now, because he cannot even play three consecutive games."

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"If Neymar misses the game due to technical reasons, then something must be wrong"

Neymar has not only been facing multiple health problems since returning to Brazil - he has missed 47% of Santos' games this season - but also, when he is able to play, he is also far from the "third man" after Messi and Ronaldo in his peak period.

So far, he has participated in 9 goals, 5 of which were scored against Brazilian low-level teams, namely one goal and one assist against Sant'Agua Santa, and one goal and two assists against Limeira Internacional, both of which were Sao Paulo State Championships.

Santos is fighting for relegation in the Brazilian League, and the No. 10 player no longer seems to be the decisive factor as before. According to Sofascore, he ranks just 50th in successful dribbles per game.

Nonetheless, Ancelotti insists the striker has enough time to prove he is ready for the World Cup.

"His goal must be to be ready in June (next year). As for whether he enters the team in October, November or March (next year), it does not matter." The Italian coach told "L'Equipe".

Ancelotti sparked controversy last month when he defended Neymar, whom he claimed was being left out of the squad due to health issues.

But Neymar himself disputed this, saying that he was absent from the game due to technical reasons and had "nothing to do with my physical condition." Ancelotti later admitted it was a "technical decision based on a number of factors".

From the public point of view, this will not do Neymar any good.

Cafu said: "We have high hopes for Neymar and hope that he can lead the team to win the World Cup. If he misses the World Cup due to technical reasons, then obviously something is wrong."

Can Neymar become a replica of Ronaldo in 2002?

The polling agency Datafolha found through a survey that Brazilian people are divided on whether Neymar should be selected for the national team to participate in the World Cup for the fourth time. 48% supported it and 41% opposed it.

Neymar has become Brazil's top scorer in history with 79 goals, but his behavior on the court did not bring much help to his team.

He seemed more nervous than before, getting into altercations with fans in the stadium on multiple occasions - this happened in three consecutive games in July.

In August, Santos lost 0:6 at home to Vasco da Gama. This was Neymar's biggest defeat in a club game. He couldn't help crying on the spot.

When asked about his physical condition by reporters in the post-match interview, he also lost patience: "Are you asking this again, brother? I have answered it 500 times."

His father and agent was also asked the same question. "Neymar's plan is to stay at Santos for five months. For what? To recover. It would be great if Neymar can play." Neymar's father previously explained, remarks that angered Santos fans.

However, people still hold out a glimmer of hope that Neymar's golden era is not over yet and that he can revive his career at the World Cup like Ronaldo did in 2002, overcoming criticism and injuries to lead Brazil to the World Cup title..

"He is a key player for Brazil - no one can compare to Neymar." Ronaldo said at a recent event with Neymar in Sao Paulo.

"A small number of people believe that he has neglected physical recovery, which is a bit exaggerated. Anyone who has played football knows how difficult it is to recover from injuries and regain rhythm and confidence. He is now on the right track."

In the next few months, it will be up to Neymar to prove that he is not a "prince" who gave up his throne.

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