Brazil's Undisputed Superstar? Neymar's World Cup Race Against Time
As the French winger was crowned the prestigious football award in late September, Neymar was receiving treatment for his third injury of the year - while taking part in an virtual card tournament.
The veteran football star ultimately finished as runner-up, collecting around £73,800 in prize money.
It was some consolation on a day when he had to observe the player who previously succeeded him at Barcelona lift the award he had consistently dreamed to win.
After returning to his youth team Santos in January, the 33-year-old forward has failed to live up to expectations, attracting more attention for comparable situations than for his on-field performances.
His homecoming after a dozen campaigns away was intended as 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 all parties involved.
Such is the situation that the primary concern being asked right now in Brazil is whether Neymar will make it to the upcoming global tournament.
He's against the clock.
"Even the stars have to demonstrate that they are prepared. The deadline approaches [for him]," Brazilian legend Tostao commented in his newspaper column.
On Wednesday, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti announced his team selection for the upcoming games against South Korea and Japan and, yet again, Neymar was absent.
"O Principe", as he was nicknamed when received at Santos in a reference to the king Pele, is yet to play under Ancelotti, having been missing from the Selecao for two years.
He continues to be an fitness concern for the autumn fixtures, which, in the most pessimistic outlook, will leave him with just a pair of exhibition games in spring 2026 to demonstrate his worth to Ancelotti before the revealing of the definitive squad for the World Cup.
"For 15 years, Neymar was Brazil's unquestioned talisman, shouldering massive pressure on his own," former AC Milan and Roma legend Cafu said.
"But no one wins the World Cup alone. Placing 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 return to Brazil - he's missed nearly half of Santos' matches this campaign - but, when he was able to play, he was a distant from the player who during his peak rivaled Lionel Messi 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 a lower-league side, followed by a three goal involvements versus Inter de Limeira, 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 previously represented.
Despite that, Ancelotti has asserted that the forward has sufficient months to show he is ready for the World Cup.
"His objective must be to be ready in June. It doesn't matter if he's in the squad in autumn, late autumn or March," the coach told French media.
Ancelotti caused local discussion last month by allegedly attempting to protect Neymar, claiming the star had been excluded from the team over physical condition issues.
But then Neymar himself challenged the claim, saying he "was excluded for tactical decisions; it has no connection to my physical condition."
In terms of public perception, it definitely didn't help for Neymar.
"If the player we have pinned our dreams on to deliver the World Cup is excluded for performance issues, obviously there's a problem," Cafu observed.
Is a Ronaldo-style comeback possible for Neymar?
Research from a leading polling institute found that the Brazilian public are divided over whether Neymar should be selected for his fourth World Cup.
With his 79 goals, Neymar is Brazil's historical leading marksman, but he hasn't helped his case much with his behaviour on the pitch either.
He seems more on edge than usual, having argued with fans on several occasions in stadiums - it occurred in successive games in mid-year.
The next month, the striker was reduced to crying after Santos suffered a 6-0 loss at home by their rivals - the worst result of his career.
When questioned by a reporter about his fitness condition in a post-match interview, he became frustrated: "This topic again, friend? I've responded to this 500 times already."
The identical inquiry has been directed at his parent representative Neymar Sr as well.
"Neymar's plan was to spend five months at Santos. To what end? To regain fitness. If Neymar was able to feature, amen," he earlier stated, causing outrage among supporters.
There's continuing belief, however, that Neymar's prime period haven't ended and that he will be able to return to prominence the same way striker Ronaldo "Phenomenon" did in 2002 to surmount doubt and physical setbacks to lead Brazil to the World Cup title.
The former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan legend observes similarities.
"He's a crucial player for Brazil - there's nobody like Neymar," Ronaldo declared during a recent appearance with the forward in Sao Paulo.
"It's an exaggeration from a small group who believe he's neglecting his fitness rehabilitation.
Anyone who have been in football recognize fully how challenging it is to return from an setback and restore rhythm and confidence. He's moving forward."
The Brazilian forward has a important timeframe ahead to demonstrate that he's not the prince who abandoned the throne.