Brazil football icon Neymar Jr. has wasted absolutely no time finding a new competitive outlet following the Selecao’s deeply disappointing exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Just days after his national team dreams were dashed in the Round of 16, the 34-year-old superstar forward was spotted trading the grass of the pitch for the green felt of the poker tables in Nevada.
Neymar officially joined the field at the prestigious 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, taking his seat on Saturday night to compete in the world-renowned $10,000 Main Event World Championship. Video circulating across social media platforms showed the Santos forward focused, wearing a cap and headphones, as he was dealt into the high-stakes tournament room at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas Hotels.
Neymar Jr Scooping Pots at the WSOP
Straight from the pitch, to the felt! @neymarjr made his way from the FIFA World Cup to the World Series of Poker to play in the $10,000 six-max event. pic.twitter.com/mJFywqWc8M
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) July 12, 2026
The football star’s quick flight to Las Vegas came immediately after a bittersweet individual finish at the World Cup. Entering the tournament nursing a right calf injury, Neymar only featured in two matches for Brazil. He was subbed on in the 68th minute of their intense Round of 16 clash against a formidable Norway squad led by Erling Haaland. While Neymar managed to score Brazil’s final goal of the tournament via a stoppage-time penalty kick, it wasn’t enough to prevent a painful 2-1 defeat that sent the South American giants packing.
Hoping to rewrite his summer narrative with a deep run in poker’s most celebrated open field, Neymar ran into immediate thermodynamic turbulence on the felt. While he has a reputation as an incredibly sharp, high-volume player—having famously navigated his way deep into the field during the 2025 WSOP Main Event—his card luck completely deserted him this time around.
Neymar faced an incredibly aggressive table dynamic early on Day 1 and was ultimately eliminated before the chips were bagged for the night, failing to advance to Day 2. His rapid exit from the tournament floor unfortunately mirrored the premature ending of his international football run just a week prior.
Despite the early tournament bust-out, Neymar’s immediate appearance at the WSOP further solidifies his post-retirement ambitions. The forward has repeatedly made it clear that he views professional poker as his secondary career path once he hangs up his football boots, and his immediate pivot to Las Vegas proves he is already operating like a true circuit regular.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
