The spectacle of Neymar's career has taken another dramatic turn, with the Brazilian superstar now embroiled in a sad decline that threatens to overshadow his extraordinary legacy. Recent footage from his comeback appearance for Santos has sparked concern and mockery in equal measure, painting a picture of a footballer fading from his former brilliance.
The Unravelling at Santos
Santos made the fateful decision to sign Neymar in January, a move that has backfired spectacularly with the club now facing relegation with just six games remaining. The visual evidence of Neymar's current state makes for uncomfortable viewing: miskicks in front of goal, sluggish skills, and concerning physical condition. Even his celebrated appearance has altered, with observers noting the classic inflated head of a mid-30s athlete beginning to go to seed.
Perhaps most telling are the scenes of Neymar scolding teammates like the world's most awful PE teacher, performing elaborate gestures that highlight the growing disconnect between his expectations and reality. The situation has become so dire that Santos director Alexandre Mattos felt compelled to defend him on Instagram, stating: Geniuses are misunderstood, it has always been that way in human history.
The World Cup Lifeline
Despite this precipitous decline, next summer's World Cup remains a tantalising possibility in the minds of many Brazilians. Neymar hasn't played for Brazil for two years, yet he was selected as recently as March before withdrawing due to injury. The current workmanlike Seleção could potentially benefit from a functional late-stage version of their former star.
Even Carlo Ancelotti has weighed in with advice, suggesting Neymar transform himself into a false 9 rather than playing on the wing. Brazil remains a sentimental nation, and as Nilton Petrone, a famous Brazilian physiotherapist, declared: Neymar is the last genius of Brazilian football.
A Career of Contradictions
It's easy to forget the sheer magnitude of Neymar's talent amidst the current circus. He stands as one of only four everything-all-at-once football geniuses to emerge in recent decades, alongside Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi. The statistics alone are staggering: 445 goals and 286 assists in 742 games according to Transfermarkt.
Yet beyond the numbers lies the true tragedy – the waste of what Brazilian physiotherapist Nilton Petrone called the last genius of Brazilian football. His career has been a relentless parade of destructive moves, from the oddities of his Barcelona transfer to the emptiness of his PSG propaganda move that disrupted an entire transfer economy.
The move to Al-Hilal represented perhaps the ultimate absurdity, complete with guarantees of three dedicated supercars, a house with three saunas, a pool at least 40m long, plus a private plane and all expenses paid for his 30-strong entourage. In return, the footballer who frequently speaks of love and Jesus became a beard for a repressive Gulf state.
Through it all, glimpses of limitless talent have shone through – that figure made from silk thread and sherbet, twirling in the light like a flake of god's dandruff. As his Netflix documentary revealed with brutal clarity, Neymar exists in a state of profound emptiness, admitting at one point: No one knows anything about me.
Barring a dramatic reversal in fortune, there remains only the slimmest chance of one last World Cup appearance for this most divisive, beautifully gossamer talent. Yet for those who remember what he once was, that possibility represents more than just sporting redemption – it offers a final note of human salvation for a career consumed by the very machine it sought to conquer.
