‘Pressure is on’ – Neymar faces ‘busted flush’ claims but unique first offers Brazil World Cup lifeline

Neymar has a chance to prove that ‘he’s not a busted flush’ upon his return to injury as he fights to rescue his World Cup dream.

That is the opinion of South American football journalist Tim Vickery, who argued the pressure is on the 34-year-old to return to top form.

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Neymar is yet to play a single minute for Santos in any of the club’s eight matches in 2026 after undergoing minor surgery in December.

The ex-Barcelona star, who returned to his boyhood club in January 2025, stepped up his comeback with a return to training this week.

Neymar had delayed his knee surgery to fix a meniscus injury to steer Santos away from relegation last season.

The Brazilian scored five goals and registered an assist in the club’s last five matches before extending his contract late last year.

Neymar still remains hopeful of a Brazil recall, having not featured for his country since October 2023 due to a succession of fitness issues.

The attacker, who ruptured his ACL in his last international appearance, has been told by Seleção boss Carlo Ancelotti that he must be fully fit to earn a place in his World Cup squad.

Ancelotti has games against France and Croatia at the end of March before he finalises his picks for the tournament, which usually precedes the new season of Brazilian League football.

Fortunately for Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer, the calendar has been moved forward in his homeland.

And Vickery told talkSPORT’s Trans Europe Express podcast that it could be pivotal for Neymar’s hopes.

“Well, he’s got a chance to prove that he’s not a busted flush, and he didn’t do much last year with Santos, and they were avoiding relegation,” Vickery said.

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Neymar’s World Cup lifeline

Trans Europe Express podcast host Danny Kelly defended Neymar’s form in his second Santos spell by pointing out his injury issues.

“He was, yes,[hurt a lot of the time],” Vickery admitted. “To be fair to him, we always knew that coming back, he was going to pick up muscular injuries, but he picked up plenty, and he didn’t play particularly well.

“And he put off a knee operation to ensure that they avoided relegation. He had a great last week of the season, but against real rubbish teams.

“It works massively in his favour that the Brazilian league has already started. We had the first round in midweek.

“The second round is coming up. He hasn’t played yet because of his knee operation. He turns 34 on [5 February].”

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Vickery continued to talkSPORT: “Santos are on a losing streak.

“The pressure is on Neymar to produce because he hasn’t got very long to get back into that squad in time for the World Cup.

“It helps enormously that the Brazilian Championship is up and running. This is a first.

“Usually, it doesn’t get underway until late March, early April. So there’s only really kind of Michael Rodent games at this time of the year.

“Now, at least Neymar has got something serious. I find it hard to judge him as a footballer based on what we saw last year because he never really got a run of games, and we never really saw him anywhere near peak fitness.

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“Ancelotti has ring-fenced this one quite carefully. He said, ‘I’m not taking anyone to the World Cup who’s not 100 per cent.’

“There’s no passengers. There’s no players who can just come on for the last 15 minutes.

“So he set the bar, and one of the big narratives now in Brazilian football over the next few months, starting from Wednesday, will be can Neymar clear that bar?”