The prince who put his crown on the poker table

As Ousmane Dembele lifted the 2025 Ballon d'Or in late September, Neymar found himself sidelined once again, this time tending to his third injury of the year—while simultaneously participating in an online poker tournament.

The 33-year-old Brazilian ultimately finished as runner-up, pocketing roughly 74 thousand pounds in prize money.

It was a small consolation on a day when he had to watch the player who once took his place at Barcelona claim an award he had long dreamed of winning.

Since returning to his boyhood club Santos in January, the 33-year-old forward has struggled to meet expectations, attracting more headlines for off-field antics than for his performances on the pitch.

His homecoming after 12 years away was meant to reignite his form and, crucially, restore the passion for football that appeared to have faded following difficult spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

Instead, the season has been a disappointment for both Neymar and those invested in his return.

The Neymar dilemma: World Cup hope or lost cause?

The pressing question in Brazil now is whether Neymar will make it to the 2026 World Cup. Time is running short. On Wednesday, Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti revealed his squad for upcoming fixtures against South Korea and Japan—and Neymar was absent once more.

"The Prince", as he was nicknamed upon his return to Santos in homage to Pele, has yet to feature under Ancelotti, having missed two years of action with the Selecao. His last appearance came in October 2023 during Brazil’s 2-0 defeat to Uruguay. He also remains a doubt for the November fixtures, potentially leaving him with only two friendlies in March 2026 to impress Ancelotti ahead of the final World Cup squad announcement.

"For 15 years, Neymar was Brazil's undisputed star, carrying enormous expectations and responsibility on his own," former AC Milan and Roma legend Cafu reflected. Since returning to Brazil, Neymar has battled fitness problems, missing 47% of Santos’ games this season. Even when fit, he has been far from the player who once challenged Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, prompting PSG to pay Barcelona a world-record 222 milion euros fee in 2017.

Of his nine goal contributions this season, five came against teams below Brazil's top division—a goal and assist against Agua Santa, then a goal and two assists versus Inter de Limeira in the Sao Paulo State Championship. Despite this, Ancelotti insists Neymar still has time to prove himself 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, November or March," the Italian told L'Equipe. Data from polling institute Datafolha shows Brazilians are divided over whether Neymar deserves a fourth World Cup call-up: 48% are in favor, while 41% oppose it.

With 79 goals, Neymar sits atop Brazil’s all-time scoring charts, yet his on-field behavior has not always helped his case. He has appeared more irritable than usual, clashing with fans in three consecutive matches this past July.

There is, however, a glimmer of hope that Neymar can still revive his career, mirroring the way striker Ronaldo "Phenomenon" bounced back in 2002, overcoming criticism and injuries to lead Brazil to World Cup glory.

The former Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Inter Milan legend sees parallels.

"He's a crucial player for Brazil—there's no one else like Neymar," Ronaldo said at a recent event in Sao Paulo with the forward. The Santos star now faces a decisive few months to prove he is not simply "the crown prince who walked away".