Written by Han Bing After Brazil's loss to France, France's top star Mbappe also joined the ranks supporting Neymar. He firmly believes his old Paris Saint-Germain teammate will appear at the World Cup, and Neymar has responded positively. Although Neymar, whose private life discipline has never been strong, chose to spend 24 hours participating in an online poker tournament to pass the time after the squad announcement, sparking widespread public skepticism, Neymar still believes that the recovery plan he and Santos Club have devised will allow him to continue fighting for a World Cup spot.

A 24-hour poker game just to relieve stress?

After Brazil's squad announcement, disappointed Neymar bluntly stated that his exclusion was not due to injury but "technical reasons." He then proved his form was sufficient for inclusion with a goal against Internacional. However, on March 22 he missed Santos' away match against Cruzeiro, with the club citing "load management" for his body. Yet host Leo Dias revealed that Neymar actually spent nearly 24 hours participating in an online poker tournament from March 20 to 22. On March 21 alone, to continue chasing better results, he paid a $5,000 entry fee four times after being eliminated to re-enter the tournament, spending $20,000 just on entry fees.

This poker tournament controversy once again sparked public doubts about his discipline. Poker is Neymar's favorite game outside football; he has long transitioned from amateur enthusiast to professional player, even naming his beloved dog "Poker." Neymar serves as promotional ambassador for several poker gaming platforms, but his love for poker has brought him ongoing controversy. In March 2023 while recovering from injury at Paris Saint-Germain, he lost €1 million in just two hours during a poker tournament livestream. In 2024, he was criticized by public opinion for focusing on playing poker on his phone during his daughter Mavi's birthday party.

Neymar did not deny participating in the poker tournament over the weekend of the away match against Cruzeiro. Such lack of discipline ahead of the World Cup will undoubtedly significantly affect Ancelotti's judgment of him. However, Neymar is accustomed to public discussion about his private life and even responded sarcastically on social media: "Today, training first then watching a movie, oh, and played some poker too." Neymar believes he has not relaxed in maintaining his physical condition; watching movies and playing poker are just ways to relax after training. In Neymar's view, he knows how to approach the World Cup as healthily as possible. For a 34-year-old who just underwent knee surgery, recovery is more important than more training and matches.

Not playing away matches just to avoid injury

Neymar hopes to convince Ancelotti with a healthy body and excellent performance within two months. On May 18 Ancelotti will announce Brazil's final squad; Neymar still has 14 matches left—8 Brazilian Serie A, 4 Copa Sudamericana, and 2 Copa do Brasil—to prove himself. But to better maintain health and avoid recurring injuries, Neymar chooses to play only home matches and not away matches. This means, at best, he has only 7 matches to show the Italian coach and change his mind.

After returning from injury on February 16, until the March international break, Santos played 7 matches. Neymar only played one away match: the São Paulo State League quarter-final away to Novo Horizonte, solely because the travel distance was only 530 km, about 5 hours. Subsequently, he missed Brazilian Serie A away matches against Mirassol and Cruzeiro to avoid excessive fatigue. In the last 3 Serie A home matches, Neymar played fully, delivering 3 goals and 1 assist against top clubs Vasco da Gama, Corinthians, and Internacional—convincing stats. On March 16 when Ancelotti announced the March squad, Neymar had just provided an assist against Corinthians, helping the team draw at home against a strong opponent.

Unfortunately, on March 11 when Santos played away against Mirassol, Ancelotti personally attended to observe. Neymar, however, did not notify the Brazilian Football Confederation beforehand and voluntarily缺席, leaving the Brazil coach "observing nothing." This was a key reason for Neymar's exclusion from the final squad after being in the preliminary list. Neymar's absence was naturally improper, but if he had played this match, it would mean playing 3 matches in 8 days less than 3 weeks after returning, posing a significant injury risk.

Playing only home matches clearly affects Neymar. Santos' future Serie A away matches against Flamengo and Palmeiras, and Copa Sudamericana away match against San Lorenzo—three high-profile clashes—are excellent opportunities to impress Ancelotti. The future 7 home matches only feature strong opponents like Atlético Mineiro and Fluminense. Moreover, Santos' medical team believes Neymar should gradually恢复 match rhythm and improve physical condition; reducing match volume不利于 achieving ideal condition before the World Cup.

Regardless of external advice, Neymar坚持 his own choice. He prioritizes maintaining health and avoiding excessive fatigue. He knows that if he acts hastily and gets injured again before the World Cup, there will be no room for recovery.