Neymar Misses Santos Match to Compete at Brazilian Poker Series Event

^{Neymar at a poker tournament in São Paulo}

Santos forward Neymar missed the first leg of the club’s Copa Sudamericana playoff tie against Venezuela’s Universidad Central and instead competed in a poker tournament in São Paulo, Brazilian sports outlet ge.globo.com reported.

The coaching staff left the forward out of the squad for the trip to Venezuela so he could continue rebuilding his fitness following the World Cup. Neymar trained at Santos’ training ground on the morning of July 21 before heading to BSOP Winter, the fourth stop of the Brazilian Series of Poker. The event is being held at the WTC Sheraton complex in São Paulo from July 21 to 30.

Neymar is competing in the invitation-only BSOP Invitational. The tournament has a buy-in of 25,000 reais, or about $4,930. A total of 171 entries, including re-entries, were recorded on the opening day, with 60 players advancing.

The footballer ended the day with 756,000 chips, placing him 14th in the chip counts among the remaining players.

The final stage of the tournament is scheduled for July 22. The prize pool and payout structure have not yet been announced, meaning it remains unclear whether Neymar has already secured a cash prize.

At the same BSOP stop in 2025, the Brazilian finished 29th in a different tournament and earned 53,500 reais, or about $10,545.

Santos, meanwhile, beat Universidad Central 4-1 without Neymar. The second leg will take place in Brazil on July 28.