Poker has truly entered the world of football players. One of the great exponents of this scene is Neymar, the number 10 of Santos. At the beginning of the BSOP Winter, he was present in the early days of the series and generated much controversy. However, last Monday (27), the spotlight turned to two other athletes, the forward of São Paulo, Jonathan Calleri, and the defender of Botafogo, Nahuel Ferraresi.
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Thus, the duo registered for the Event #40 1-Day High Roller Mystery Bounty, with a buy-in of R$ 10,000. Neither of them reached the payout range. However, they also did not face the same controversy as Neymar. The reason is simple: both participated in the tournament on a Monday, after the round of the Brazilian Championship.
However, when Neymar participated in the BSOP Winter, Santos faced Universidad Central from Venezuela in the Copa Sudamericana on the same day and time. The sports press criticism did not happen because the number 10 was playing poker during his day off. In fact, the questions arose because the team was on the field while he was competing in the tournament.
Moreover, this was not the first participation of Jonathan Calleri in a BSOP stage. In November 2024, the Argentine forward played in The Challenge at BSOP Millions and achieved a great result. He advanced to Day 3 among the leaders and finished in 12th place, earning R$ 63,500.
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Neymar scored and paid tribute to poker
However, the weekend round of the Brazilian Championship also had poker as a highlight. Santos drew 2-2 with Chapecoense at Vila Belmiro, and Neymar scored both goals for the team. Additionally, in the first goal, the number 10 celebrated with gestures simulating the dealing of cards, a clear tribute to poker.
Furthermore, Jonathan Calleri and Nahuel Ferraresi also took the field the day before participating in the BSOP Winter. The Argentine forward scored São Paulo‘s goal in the 1-1 draw against Flamengo. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan defender played as a starter in Botafogo‘s 1-0 victory over Cruzeiro.
Finally, it is no secret that many football players cultivate a great passion for poker. Gerard Piqué, former defender of the Spanish national team, participated in the WSOP this year. Meanwhile, Sergej Barbarez, current coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has played as a professional poker player and reached two WSOP final tables throughout his career.
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