The Brazilian Undisputed Star? Neymar Jr's World Cup Countdown Challenge
While Ousmane Dembele received the prestigious football award in late September, the Brazilian sensation was receiving treatment for his third injury of the year - while engaging in an virtual card tournament.
The veteran football star eventually placed as second place, collecting around £73,800 in tournament winnings.
It was some consolation on a day when he had to witness the player who once replaced him at Barcelona claim the award he had long hoped to win.
After returning to his youth team Santos in January, the 33-year-old forward has fallen short of expectations, drawing more attention for episodes like this than for his on-field performances.
His homecoming after 12 seasons away was meant to be a chance for him to regain his form and, crucially, revive a passion for the game that seemed gone after frustrating spells with PSG and the Saudi club.
Instead, it has been widely disappointing for everyone concerned.
Such is the situation that the key issue being asked right now in Brazil is whether Neymar will be part of the upcoming global tournament.
He's against the clock.
"All players have to demonstrate that they are fit. The deadline approaches [for him]," Brazilian legend Tostao commented in his regular feature.
On midweek, Brazil head coach the Italian tactician announced his squad for the forthcoming matches against Korea Republic and the Asian nation and, once again, Neymar was excluded.
"The Prince", as he was nicknamed when welcomed back at Santos in a reference to the legend Pelé, is yet to play under Ancelotti, having been absent from the national team for 24 months.
He continues to be an fitness concern for the November games, which, in the most pessimistic outlook, will leave him with just a pair of friendly matches in spring 2026 to demonstrate his worth to Ancelotti before the revealing of the final list for the World Cup.
"For 15 years, Neymar was Brazil's clear standout, carrying enormous expectations on his own," former AC Milan and Roma legend Cafu said.
"But no one wins the World Cup single-handedly. Putting all our hopes on him at the present time is problematic because he has difficulty to even play three games in a row."
'Technical exclusion raises serious questions about Neymar'
Not just has Neymar had repeated injury problems since his homecoming - he's missed 47% of Santos' matches this season - but, when he was available for selection, he was a far cry from the player who during his zenith competed with the Argentine maestro and the Portuguese icon.
Of his several attacking returns so far, five have come against teams from divisions below Brazil's first division - a scoring contribution against Agua Santa, 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 game-changer he once was.
Despite that, Ancelotti has insisted that the forward has sufficient months to show he is fit for the World Cup.
"His goal must be to be ready in June. It doesn't matter if he's in the squad in October, late autumn or spring," the Italian told L'Equipe newspaper.
Ancelotti caused local controversy last month by reportedly trying to protect Neymar, claiming the star had been omitted from the team over fitness concerns.
But then Neymar himself contradicted this, saying he "was left out for technical reasons; it has no connection to my physical condition."
In terms of fan opinion, it definitely didn't help for Neymar.
"If the player we have invested our faith in to win the World Cup is excluded for performance issues, obviously there's a problem," Cafu observed.
Is a Ronaldo-style comeback possible for Neymar?
Studies from Datafolha found that the Brazilian public are divided over whether Neymar should be included for his next global tournament.
With his 79 goals, Neymar is Brazil's historical leading marksman, but he hasn't helped his case much with his in-game attitude either.
He seems more on edge than normal, having argued with fans on several occasions in venues - it happened in three consecutive matches in July.
The following month, the forward was emotional after Santos endured a six-goal home defeat by Vasco da Gama - the biggest loss of his professional life.
When asked by a reporter about his physical state in a post-match interview, he became frustrated: "Again with this, mate? I've answered this repeatedly already."
The similar query has been directed at 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 was able to feature, amen," he previously explained, causing outrage among fans.
There's still a slight hope, however, that Neymar's peak years aren't over and that he will be able to return to prominence the same way striker Ronaldo "Fenômeno" did in 2002 to overcome criticism and injuries to guide Brazil to the World Cup title.
The former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan legend observes similarities.
"He's a essential player for Brazil - there's no one else like Neymar," Ronaldo stated during a recent event with the forward in the Brazilian city.
"It's an overstatement from a small group who believe he's disregarding his fitness rehabilitation.
Anyone who have been in football understand completely how challenging it is to return from an setback and regain form and self-belief. He's moving forward."
The Santos star has a critical period ahead to prove that he's not the heir who stepped away from greatness.
