ð Share this article The Brazilian Undisputed Star? Neymar Jr's Global Tournament Race Against Time As the French winger was crowned the prestigious football award in the autumn months, Neymar was receiving treatment for his latest physical setback of the year - simultaneously taking part in an online poker tournament. The 33-year-old football star eventually placed as runner-up, securing around seventy-three thousand pounds in prize money. It was partial comfort on a day when he had to observe the player who once replaced him at Barcelona claim the award he had consistently dreamed to win. After coming back to his boyhood club Santos in the new year, the experienced attacker has failed to live up to expectations, drawing 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, crucially, rekindle a love of football that seemed gone after disappointing periods with PSG and Al Hilal. Conversely, it has been generally unsatisfactory for all parties involved. This reflects the situation that the main question being asked right now in Brazil is whether Neymar will be part of the 2026 World Cup. He's facing a deadline. "Even the stars have to prove that they are prepared. The deadline approaches [for him]," 1970 World Cup-winner Tostao stated in his regular feature. On Wednesday, Brazil manager the Italian tactician disclosed his team selection for the upcoming games against South Korea and the Asian nation and, yet again, Neymar was not in it. "The Prince", as he was dubbed when received at Santos in a nod toward the king Pele, is still awaiting his debut under Ancelotti, having been missing from the Selecao for 24 months. He also remains an fitness concern for the November games, which, in the most pessimistic outlook, will leave him with only two friendly matches in March 2026 to prove himself to Ancelotti before the revealing of the final list for the World Cup. "Over a decade and a half, Neymar was Brazil's undisputed star, shouldering massive pressure on his own," former AC Milan and Roma legend Cafu stated. "But no one wins the World Cup alone. Putting all our hopes on him at the moment is problematic because he has difficulty to even play multiple matches in a row." 'Technical exclusion raises serious questions about Neymar' Not just has Neymar had multiple fitness issues since his homecoming - he's missed 47% of Santos' matches this campaign - but, when he was available for selection, he was a different to the player who during his prime competed with the Argentine maestro and Cristiano Ronaldo. Of his several attacking returns so far, five have come against teams from divisions below Brazil's top flight - a scoring contribution against Agua Santa, followed by a goal and two assists versus another lower-division opponent, all in the regional competition. As Santos fight relegation in the Brazilian first tier, the number 10 no longer seems to be the decisive factor he once was. Nevertheless, Ancelotti has asserted that the forward has plenty of time to show he is fit for the World Cup. "His goal must be to be prepared in summer. It doesn't matter if he's in the squad in autumn, late autumn or March," the coach told French media. Ancelotti caused local debate last month by allegedly attempting to protect Neymar, claiming the star had been omitted from the team over fitness concerns. But then Neymar himself contradicted this, saying he "was excluded for tactical decisions; it has nothing to do with my fitness level." In terms of fan opinion, it undoubtedly worsened the situation for Neymar. "If the player we have pinned our dreams on to deliver the World Cup is excluded for performance issues, clearly something isn't right," Cafu said. Will Neymar be capable of emulating Ronaldo in 2002? Polls from a leading polling institute found that the Brazilian public are split over whether Neymar should be included for his next global tournament. With his 79 goals, Neymar is Brazil's all-time top scorer, but he hasn't improved his situation much with his conduct during matches either. He seems greater frustration than usual, having argued with fans repeatedly in stadiums - it occurred in successive games in mid-year. The following month, the striker was reduced to crying after Santos suffered a six-goal loss at home by Vasco da Gama - the worst result of his career. When asked by a journalist about his physical state in a post-match interview, he also lost his patience: "Again with this, friend? I've responded to this countless times already." The identical inquiry has been posed to his father and agent Neymar Sr as well. "Neymar's intention was to remain for five months at Santos. To what end? To recover. If Neymar managed to play, amen," he earlier stated, causing anger among supporters. There's still a slight hope, however, that Neymar's best days remain possible and that he will be able to revive his career the same way striker Ronaldo "FenÃīmeno" did in 2002 to surmount criticism and injuries to lead Brazil to the World Cup title. The former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan legend observes parallels. "He's a vital player for Brazil - there's no one else like Neymar," Ronaldo said during a recent appearance with the forward in the Brazilian city. "It's an misrepresentation from a small group who believe he's neglecting his physical recovery. Those who have been in football recognize fully how challenging it is to come back from an injury and restore form and self-belief. He's progressing well." The Santos star has a few decisive months ahead to demonstrate that he's not the heir who relinquished his status.