Brazilian footballer Neymar has competed at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas days after Brazil’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 34 year old entered the US$10,000 No Limit Hold’em Six Max Championship at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas on Saturday. He did not progress beyond the opening day of the bracelet event.
Reports describing the tournament as the WSOP Main Event are incorrect. Neymar entered a separate US$10,000 six player event, while the Main Event had begun earlier in July.
His appearance followed Brazil’s 2 to 1 defeat by Norway in the World Cup round of 16 on July 5th. Neymar scored a late penalty before indicating that the match would be his final appearance for the national team.
Neymar has an established commercial and competitive connection with poker. He has regularly competed in online events and finished seventh in the US$10,300 Super Tuesday High Roller at the 2025 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker, earning US$26,111. He also finished second in a PokerStars online high roller in April 2026 for a total prize of US$11,877.
His official WSOP record currently lists one cash worth US$3,959 and no final table appearances, correcting reports that he reached a WSOP final table in 2025. The footballer’s participation adds further mainstream visibility to the WSOP, which has increasingly attracted athletes, entertainers and other public figures alongside professional poker players. The 2026 series runs in Las Vegas from May 26th to July 15th and includes 100 bracelet events.
