Neymar Jr at the WSOP: Brazilian superstar takes on the poker tables in Las Vegas

Neymar Jr has had a busy few days. The Brazilian football star recently confirmed his retirement from international games, but he did not spend much time dwelling on it. Instead, he headed to Las Vegas to enjoy one of his other great passions, poker. Let’s look into the Neymar Jr WSOP 2026 details.

With the Brazilian league set to resume soon, Santos gave Neymar Jr a few days off. He used the break to enter one of the toughest events on the World Series of Poker schedule, the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed Championship .

The tournament is widely regarded as one of the most challenging no-limit hold’em events of the WSOP. With a maximum of six players at each table, the action is typically faster, more aggressive, and more dynamic than in traditional full-ring tournaments.

It was not Neymar Jr’s first time playing in the event. The Brazilian football star made an impressive run in last year’s edition, reaching the final table and attracting plenty of attention in the poker world as one of the most-followed celebrity poker players on social media.

This year, however, things did not go quite as well. Neymar Jr poker journey has come to an early end this time, as he failed to survive on the first day and was eliminated long before the money places came into view.

Neymar Jr poker history: a relationship that’s lasted for years

Poker has long been more than just a hobby for Neymar Jr. The Brazilian star is not just one of the celebrity poker players, has been one of poker’s most recognizable athlete ambassadors for years, regularly taking part in both live and online tournaments while recording several notable results along the way.

In 2015, he joined PokerStars as a brand ambassador alongside fellow Brazilian football legend Ronaldo (Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima). At the time, Neymar Jr said that football had made him a highly competitive person, and poker gave him another way to satisfy that competitive drive away from the pitch.

Over the years, he has participated in numerous charity and promotional events, and in 2020, he renewed his partnership with PokerStars. Neymar Jr has also said on several occasions that he would like to play poker more seriously once his football career ends.

His passion for the game runs deep. Neymar Jr has even revealed his favorite starting hands, with pocket tens topping the list, a nod to his iconic No. 10 shirt. He also counts jack-five among his preferred holdings.

Neymar Jr WSOP 2026 – Looking Forward to 2027 for Sure

Neymar has been a familiar face at the WSOP in Las Vegas for years. He recorded his first cash finish at the World Series of Poker in 2022 and has returned to the tournament tables several times since.

While a WSOP bracelet is still missing from his collection, his results show that he is more than just a celebrity player. According to the Hendon Mob database, Neymar Jr has already earned more than $100,000 in live tournament winnings and regularly competes in high buy-in events.

The 2026 WSOP ended with an early exit for Neymar Jr, but given his previous results and his passion for the game, it is unlikely this will be the last time we see the Brazilian star competing at the biggest poker tournaments in the world.

Celebrity Poker Players at the Green Felt

While you can always spot some football players playing poker at the WSOP (for example, David Beckham was spotted this year), or taking on ambassador roles with major online poker rooms, as Neymar Jr, Ronaldo, and Cristiano Ronaldo did, there are multiple other high-profile athletes sharing the passion for the game.

Out of many, here are a few interesting examples:

• You could easily call Michael Phelps the Phil Hellmuth of the Olympic Games. Just as Hellmuth holds an untouchable record of 17 WSOP bracelets, Phelps sits atop the Olympic podium with 23 swimming golds – a staggering 14 more than any athlete in history. When he isn’t swimming, Phelps actually shares Hellmuth’s passion for cards, regularly dropping into high-stakes poker games nationwide and making frequent appearances at the WSOP in Vegas.
• German tennis legend Boris Becker is also a big fan of the game; however, despite his potential to become a decent poker player, he faced financial issues and debt, leading him to file for bankruptcy and ultimately imprisonment.
• Most people know Richard Seymour as an absolute beast on the defensive line for the Super Bowl-winning Patriots. But did you know he’s been crushing it at the poker tables since hanging up his cleats? After a 12-season NFL run, the former Texas A&M Aggie flipped his poker hobby into a legit second act starting in 2012. Since then, he’s racked up over $600,000 in live tournament cashes, even snagging an epic 3rd place finish at the 2018 $25K PokerStars PCA High Roller.

Stay tuned. At the next WSOP in 2027, we might keep an eye on sports stars and other celebrity players; some of them are seeking true poker glory, not just an adrenaline rush and some entertainment.