5 reasons why Neymar will never win the Ballon d'Or
Unquestionably, Neymar is one of the world's best players. He continues to polarise opinion about his performances, particularly when it matters most for club and country, but the Brazilian is a world-class talent and has proved precisely that in European football for a number of years now.
Despite sustaining a fractured metatarsal last month, you naturally wish him the best of luck during his recovery - he'll come back stronger and look to silence some critics doing so.
There's never an ideal time to write a piece like this in truth and with the World Cup only a few months away, plenty of eyes will be on Neymar and Brazil - especially given their lack of success at major international tournaments despite high expectations recently.
At 26, he's gradually nearing the peak years of his career at the highest level and as a result, the Ballon d'Or accolade is definitely something that he should be aspiring to achieve, regardless of how trivial it may seem in a team sport like football.
Being named the world's best player, is something that has eluded Neymar in recent years: here are five reasons why he'll never do it.
#5 It's not just about goals and assists
Across all competitions, Neymar has scored 29 and created 19 assists for Paris-Saint Germain this season. He's already surpassed last season's tally of 47 goals and assists combined during his final campaign with La Liga giants Barcelona, having done so in 15 less matches.
Hypothetically speaking, his season could have already ended following the injury against Marseille on February 25 and with three months left, he's already conjured up these impressive statistics in the final third.
Having made his senior international debut as an 18-year-old, it's important to point out that he also has 53 goals and 36 assists in 83 caps for Brazil too. However, although the Ballon d'Or award is given to the world's best player over the span of a year, it also goes to the player who has had the most influence for their club (and country).
Despite some dazzling displays this term, it'd be unfair to identify Neymar as their most influential and significant player. Why? There are arguably more important figures on the pitch, such as Thiago Silva and Marco Verratti for instance, whereas Neymar's attacking brilliance can be replicated by the wealth of forwards that Unai Emery has at his disposal.
Edinson Cavani is on course for the best goalscoring season of his professional career at 31-years-old whilst Kylian Mbappé has impressed too, following his big-money switch (initial loan) from AS Monaco last summer.