The Brazilian Undisputed Superstar? Neymar Jr's Global Tournament Race Against Time
As Ousmane Dembele received the prestigious football award in the autumn months, Neymar was receiving treatment for his latest physical setback of the year - while engaging in an virtual card tournament.
The 33-year-old Brazilian ace eventually placed as runner-up, collecting around £73,800 in prize money.
It was partial comfort on a day when he had to witness the player who once replaced him at Barcelona claim the award he had consistently dreamed to win.
After returning to his boyhood club Santos in the new year, the experienced attacker has fallen short of expectations, drawing more attention for similar incidents than for his football.
His homecoming after 12 seasons away was intended as a chance for him to return to peak condition and, most importantly, restore a passion for the game that seemed diminished after frustrating spells with PSG and Al Hilal.
Instead, it has been widely disappointing for all parties involved.
Such is the situation that the main question being asked right now in Brazil is if Neymar will be part of the upcoming global tournament.
He's running out of time.
"Even the stars have to demonstrate that they are ready. The clock is ticking [for him]," Brazilian legend Tostao commented in his newspaper column.
On midweek, Brazil manager the Italian tactician revealed his squad for the upcoming games against Korea Republic and the Asian nation and, once again, Neymar was absent.
"The Prince", as he was nicknamed when received at Santos in a nod toward the legend Pelé, is still awaiting his debut under Ancelotti, having been missing from the national team for 24 months.
He also remains an injury doubt for the autumn fixtures, which, in the most pessimistic outlook, will leave him with only two friendly matches in March 2026 to demonstrate his worth to Ancelotti before the revealing of the final list for the World Cup.
"Over a decade and a half, Neymar was Brazil's unquestioned talisman, bearing enormous expectations on his own," former AC Milan and Roma legend Cafu said.
"But no one wins the World Cup single-handedly. Placing all our hopes on him at the moment is challenging because he struggles to even play three games in a row."
'Technical exclusion raises serious questions about Neymar'
Not only has Neymar had various physical concerns since his homecoming - he's missed nearly half of Santos' matches this season - but, when he was able to play, he was a far cry from the player who during his prime rivaled Lionel Messi and the Portuguese icon.
Of his several attacking returns so far, five have come against teams from lower tiers than Brazil's top flight - a goal and assist against a lower-league side, followed by a three goal involvements versus another lower-division opponent, all in the regional competition.
As Santos battle against demotion in the Brazilian first tier, the playmaker no longer seems to be the decisive factor he once was.
Despite that, Ancelotti has asserted that the forward has plenty of time to show he is prepared for the World Cup.
"His goal must be to be prepared in summer. It isn't crucial if he's in the squad in autumn, late autumn or March," the Italian told L'Equipe newspaper.
Ancelotti created local discussion last month by allegedly attempting to shield Neymar, claiming the star had been excluded from the team over fitness concerns.
But then Neymar himself challenged the claim, saying he "was excluded for technical reasons; it has no connection to my physical condition."
In terms of public perception, it certainly didn't make it any better for Neymar.
"If the player we have invested our faith in to win the World Cup is left out for performance issues, obviously issues exist," Cafu said.
Can Neymar follow Ronaldo's 2002 example?
Research from Datafolha found that Brazilians are split over whether Neymar should be called up for his fourth World Cup.
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 greater frustration than normal, having argued with fans repeatedly in venues - it occurred in successive games in July.
The following month, the forward was left in tears after Santos endured a 6-0 loss at home by their rivals - the biggest loss of his career.
When asked by a journalist about his physical state in a game aftermath discussion, he showed irritation: "This topic again, friend? I've responded to this repeatedly already."
The similar query has been directed at his parent representative Neymar Sr as well.
"Neymar's strategy was to spend a limited period at Santos. For what? To recover. If Neymar was able to feature, amen," he earlier stated, causing anger among fans.
There's continuing belief, however, that Neymar's best days remain possible and that he will be able to revive his career the same way forward Ronaldo "Fenômeno" did in 2002 to surmount doubt and injuries to guide Brazil to the World Cup title.
The Brazilian great sees comparisons.
"He's a vital player for Brazil - there's no one else like Neymar," Ronaldo said during a recent event with the forward in the Brazilian city.
"It's an overstatement from a minority who believe he's ignoring his physical recovery.
Anyone who have been in football knows perfectly how hard it is to come back from an setback and restore form and self-belief. He's progressing well."
The Santos star has a few decisive months ahead to show that he's not the prince who relinquished his status.
