Neymar becomes the target of criticism after playing online poker for 16 hours
In recent days, Neymar has been heavily criticised by various news and gossip pages for having taken part in a high-stakes online poker tournament during the period in which he was not included in the squad for a Santos match.
Neymar sat out Santos’ Brazilian Championship match against Cruzeiro after the coaching staff chose to rest him under a load-management protocol, a common strategy in football to prevent injuries and manage physical strain throughout the season.
However, reports indicated that, during the weekend in which he was out of the match, the forward dedicated several hours to a high-level online poker tournament. According to information released by the press, the marathon is said to have started as early as Friday and continued for around 16 to 24 hours combined until Sunday. The situation immediately gained traction on social media and in sports news coverage.
In response to the backlash, Neymar used his social media to address the matter. He confirmed that he took part in the tournament, but said that he played online, without any travel or in-person commitments. Neymar also stated that he took advantage of his free time precisely because he was not selected for the match due to a technical decision related to load management. According to Neymar, poker is one of the hobbies he enjoys the most outside of football.
Poker in Brazil
Today, poker has long since stopped being niche. According to the Brazilian Confederation of Texas Hold’em (CBTH), the country has more than 12 million players, including recreational and professional players, with hundreds of thousands playing online every day. This completely changes the way episodes like Neymar’s are interpreted. It is no longer an isolated hobby of celebrities, rather it is a behaviour embedded in a culture that is already well established.
There is another important point: poker in Brazil occupies a unique space. Unlike some other forms of betting, it has been recognised as a game of skill, and not purely of chance, which has allowed it to be played and even advertised in the country. This effectively means that, even in an environment historically restrictive towards gambling, poker has managed to grow without carrying the same stigma.
The growth of poker in Brazil becomes even clearer when we look at the numbers over time. According to data also from the CBTH, compiled in a study by PUC-Rio, the country had around 5 million players in 2013, which then rose to 7 million in 2016, indicating rapid growth in just a few years. Even when including casual and occasional players, these numbers show how poker has transformed from a niche activity into a national pastime for millions of Brazilians, a trend strengthened by the growth of online play in later years.
Online, accessible and increasingly mainstream
The growth of poker is directly linked to digital. What once depended on physical clubs now takes place within online platforms, with tournaments that last days and connect players from all over the world, and the numbers show this:
- Accelerated growth since the 2000s, going from a few thousand to millions of players
- Communities, teams and even “poker schools” spreading across the country
And when someone like Neymar appears playing, there is a pattern in this type of exposure:
- Immediate increase in traffic on platforms
- Growth in the number of new registrations
- More searches and organic interest in the game
- Greater engagement in broadcasts and social media
This happens because poker is already well placed to absorb this audience. It does not need to be “explained” from scratch, as millions of Brazilians already understand the basics, or at least are curious. In addition, there is a strong aspirational factor. Unlike other games, poker carries the idea that skill and study can bring results, and this weighs heavily on how Brazilians perceive the game today, not only as entertainment, but also as a professional opportunity.
Between hobby, profession and entertainment
Poker’s perception in Brazil today extends far beyond a single definition. For some, it is a pastime, while for others, it is competition, and for a significant portion, it is a career. Live events also reveal the size of the market. The Brazilian Series of Poker, the country’s main circuit, has already distributed more than R$ 1 billion in prize money over the years, with accelerated growth recently.
In 2024, Andy Tillman, director of the World Series of Poker, already pointed out that the Brazilian market was “growing massively”. During an interview in 2024 with ge, Globo’s sports portal, the growth of poker in Brazil had already ceased to be a trend and had become a consolidated reality, with global impact. He highlighted that the Brazilian market is growing, both online and live, with more and more players from the country appearing in international tournaments and travelling abroad to compete. This movement, according to him, shows not only an increase in volume, but also greater maturity of the ecosystem, with players who are not only seeking prize money, but also experience, socialisation and a sense of belonging to the game.
This growth of poker in Brazil also influences the expansion of large live events, which have been gaining more and more traction in the national calendar. One example is the SiGMA Poker Tour, which takes place in São Paulo as part of BiS SiGMA South America. SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil, which will take place from 3 April to 6 April 2026, combines poker tournaments with a high level of competitiveness, such as the Main Event with R$ 1 million guaranteed, with the presence of professionals, operators and companies from the iGaming sector.
This type of event shows how online poker and live poker are increasingly connected, creating a mixed ecosystem that ranges from the recreational player to the professional. It is precisely in this already lively environment that episodes involving Neymar and other celebrities gain even more relevance, boosting searches for online poker in Brazil, increasing interest in poker tournaments, and expanding the visibility of live events such as this.
This article was originally published in Portuguese on 27 March 2026.
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