Neymar criticized in Brazil after taking part in poker tournaments

Neymar's participation in the World Series of Poker and the Brazilian Series of Poker did not go unnoticed by the Brazilian media. The Santos forward was mocked by Neto, host of the show "Os Donos da Bola," whom the footballer had previously called an idiot on social media. The episode featured a clip compiling Neymar's appearances at public events and memes about the player.

Neto backed up his criticism with numbers. According to the journalist's calculations, over the past two months Neymar has played only 37 minutes for Santos, while spending 12 hours at the poker tables. In addition, in 2026 the forward has just 15 matches for the club out of 37, alongside 28 hours in poker tournaments. And over the past four seasons the footballer has averaged 16 games per year.

"Unfortunately, Neymar called me an idiot. He wasn't far off, though, was he? Because we really are idiots when we believe that a player like Neymar gets fired up over likes. An idiot is someone who believed you could bring us a World Cup or reach a final. If you were really that good at football, you would have won two Champions Leagues and become the best player in the world," Neto stated.

Neto's co-host, commentator Veloso, backed the criticism of Neymar, calling the 34-year-old forward the Peter Pan of Brazilian football. According to the commentator, the Santos player still behaves like a boy, refuses to accept the demands placed on him, and can't take criticism.

Note that during the World Cup Neymar played poker with his Brazil national team teammates Gabriel Magalhães and Bruno Guimarães. In professional poker tournaments, the forward has won more than $116,000, and last cashed ITM in December 2025 at the BSOP in São Paulo.

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