Neymar fought for a place in the national team… at the poker table

Even the birds on the branches know what kind of reaction — not only in Brazil, but worldwide — was sparked by Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to leave out Neymar for the matches against France on March 26 and Croatia on April 1.

The football world has been divided by this call, while Neymar himself was deeply disappointed not to be with the national team, although he expressed confidence that he could still make the squad for the World Cup.

However, words are one thing, and actions something entirely different. That’s where all logic seems to fall apart when it comes to a player for whom Paris Saint-Germain once paid 222 milion euros. For someone who supposedly desperately wants to play at the biggest football tournament, the creative Brazilian isn’t doing much to turn that ambition into reality. A man who has often been at the center of various scandals has created another one — this time due to his love of gambling.

You might remember when Neymar played online poker while his daughter was blowing out birthday candles — just one of several questionable moments while he competed online against players from around the world.

Now, he has once again drawn criticism after reportedly spending nearly 24 hours straight playing high-stakes online poker. On its own, that wouldn’t necessarily be an issue — if it happened during free time. However, Spanish outlet AS reports that this marathon session took place while his club Santos FC was playing a league match against Cruzeiro. Neymar wasn’t available for the game due to — rest.

The famous “workload management” was, in his case, used to spend virtually an entire day in front of a screen, losing money. Some reports claim he dropped over $20,000 at virtual tables where the minimum buy-in is $5,000 in chips — and that he entered such games at least four separate times throughout the day. In one social media appearance, he sarcastically said he was “satisfied” with his performance, despite losing money.

The prince who put his crown on the poker table

The former FC Barcelona, PSG, and Al Hilal star has a long history with poker. Since 2014, he has gone from a casual player to a serious competitor. Notably, in March 2023, while recovering from an ankle injury, he lost as much as $1 million in just two hours during a live stream.

The following year, he participated in several tournaments, drawing heavy criticism — though it’s clear that public opinion doesn’t affect him much. He even named his dog Poker.