Neymar earns half a million in online poker tournament
Accustomed to games on the pitch, Neymar decided to test his talent in another type of arena, and almost came out champion. The Santos forward finished in second place at the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP), one of the most famous and important online poker tournaments, and went home with more than half a million reais in his pocket. Just knowing this information, in itself, would already draw attention. But the way it happened made the story even more entertaining. While watching from the box the victory of Santos in a match against São Paulo, in the Brazilian Championship, Neymar was also competing, in real time, in an online tournament.
From the pitch to the poker table
The entry fee for the event was around R$27.6 thousand, a value that filters only experienced players, professionals and those willing to face long hours of competition. Neymar entered the challenge and finished the first day of competition with the second-largest stack of chips among the 13 qualified. At the final table, the player even took the chip lead. But poker is a game of details, and during a hand against the Canadian known as “Notmystyle,” the course of the game changed.
In the heads-up, Neymar started at a chip disadvantage. The confrontation was decided in an all-in before the flop: the Canadian had a pair of eights, while the player had an Ace and 3. The community cards changed nothing and decreed the victory of “Notmystyle”. Neymar finished as runner-up, with a prize of US$99 thousand, around R$527 thousand. The champion took a little more than R$687 thousand.
Another Brazilian also left his mark on the tournament. Victor Onizuka, a player known on the national circuit, reached the final table and finished in 10th place, winning around R$75 thousand. Onizuka has a strong professional history: in 2022, for example, he won a major event at Allianz Parque, in São Paulo, taking home more than R$200 thousand.
A rising force in the poker world
Neymar’s presence at the WCOOP is nothing new. He had already participated in other tournaments and, in 2025, achieved very good results in similar competitions. As a PokerStars ambassador, he has become one of the most important poker figures among sports celebrities, but, contrary to what many might think, he is not just a poster boy. He studies, plays and wins.
The WCOOP is considered the “world championship” of online poker, bringing together professionals and millionaire prizes. For any player, getting so far in a tournament of this size is already a reason to celebrate. For Neymar, it means more than money: it shows that his competitiveness is not restricted to football. With his football career still ongoing and the spotlight constantly on him, Neymar seems to have found in poker a way to keep himself active and challenged, even when he cannot be on the pitch, which is the case now, as Neymar is sidelined by injury.
This article was first published in Portuguese on 25 September 2025.
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