The script was supposed to be perfect. Neymar returns home to Brazil, joins his boyhood club Santos, and leads A Seleção to a sixth World Cup title at age 34. It was going to be his storybook ending.Now it might be a tragedy.Neymar has suffered a calf injury that will keep him out of Santos' final matches before the World Cup, according to ESPN. And while Brazil hasn't ruled him out of the tournament, the timing couldn't be worse. The World Cup starts in weeks, and their talisman is racing against time to be fit.This could be Neymar's last World Cup. Let that sink in. One of the greatest players of his generation, who's been carrying Brazil's expectations on his shoulders since he was a teenager, might miss his final shot at the one trophy that has eluded him.He came so close in 2014, when Brazil hosted the tournament. But a brutal knee to the back from Juan Zúñiga in the quarterfinals fractured his vertebra and ended his tournament. Brazil went on to lose 7-1 to Germany in the semifinals without him—one of the most shocking results in World Cup history.In 2018, Belgium knocked them out in the quarters. In 2022, Croatia did the same on penalties. Neymar has been brilliant for his country, scoring over 80 goals, but he's never reached a World Cup final.When he returned to Santos earlier this year, it felt like destiny. A hometown hero coming back to where it all began, getting sharp before one last run at glory. But football doesn't care about destiny. It cares about health, timing, and luck.Brazil still has Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, and Richarlison. They're dangerous without . But this team looks to him for leadership, for magic in the biggest moments. Without him at full strength, can they go all the way?We'll find out soon enough. But right now, one of football's great stories is hanging by a thread.