For years now, the soccer universe have hoped for the emergence of new kings or perhaps those waiting in the wind to inherit the Iron throne from Messi and Ronaldo.

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I can still recall about a year ago or thereabout, any time the argument of who could be the possible heir to the throne came up, most of us tilted towards names like Gareth Bale, Neymar Jr., Eden Hazard and Kylian Mbappe. Amongst these four, the Brazilian was the favorite and he was on everyone's lips immediately he arrived at Barcelona from Santos. Expectations where high and most couldn't wait for him to climb the ladder to his stardom.

But as days turn weeks, and weeks became months, reality has dawn on us and it seems our predictions will have to be modified. The past year have seen the Brazilian wonder-starlet struggle to find a space amongst upcoming Ballon d'Or contenders. It was one of the reason's why he had to force his way to PSG from Barcelona. He needed to taste that glory as soon as possible, and with Messi in the same team with him, he knew he would have to wait longer for the Argentine's reign to finish.

However, the Argentine talisman doesn't look like he's gonna wanne any time soon. He is still out there dominating the scene, giving the record keepers something to ink into their books and is still favorite to win the Ballon d'Or award again. Maybe Neymar should have waited, but how long could he have waited? That's a discussion for another day though. Arriving at PSG, the presumed empire where many tipped him as the long awaited Emperor, his career hasn't yet reached expectations, at least enough to unsettle the weekly masterful heroics of Messi and Christiano Ronaldo.

Maybe If Messi and Ronaldo were his only worry, it would have been better and he would have been under less pressure. However, with the sudden rise of Kylian Mbappe from the Sky, the Brazilian has seen his fears looking straight into his face. The highflying French wonder kid's performance has continued to eclipse the sporadic impact Neymar is making in his new club. Mbappe now seems to have won the fan's administration, media's attention and everyone's commendation ahead of the Brazilian. The exact fate he tried to avoid at Barcelona because of Messi, is now with him at PSG because of Mbappe. But how long will he Neymar continue to run?

Injuries Continue To Pull Down Neymar's Football Career

We all know what injuries have done to the career of Gareth Bale at Real Madrid, and as we speak, the once best player in Tottenham and supposedly Ronaldo's replacement at Santiago Bernabeu is now considered a surplus in the team. It's not just the kind of fate any player would hope for, but here it is, staring straight into Neymar's face. He has had a lot to contend with in his career since arriving at Europe, this is pretty bigger than him. With the Copa America within view, the Brazilian is likely to miss out in the biggest tournament in his continent.

The PSG striker picked up a serious ankle injury with few days to Copa America kickoff. Nothing will wreck him more than this, as he watched his dream of lifting the Trophy in his home ground disappear into the atmosphere. It didn't take long for the unforeseeable incident to happen, just 21 minutes into one of their preparatory matches against Qatar, Neymar's fate was decided. While piercing through the middle of the pitch with the ball against Qatar, Assim Madibo was in close pursuit, with both players tangled, the Brazilian landed heavily on his left ankle, and medical attention had to be sought.

Despite Brazil's win over Qatar, there is however a sad news that came from the medics, and that was the fact that Neymar will possibly not feature in the tournament again. Though Neymar has got a rape accusation hovering against him, this injury will sure be one of his greatest pains in the past decade. With Tite(the Brazilian coach) having taken the Captaincy from the 27 year old, it goes a long way to speak volumes of how Neymar's career is going. If indeed there will be light in the ens of the tunnel, that tunnel may never lead Neymar to the Ballon d'Or.