Did Neymar turn to poker after being left out of Brazil squad?
Neymar Jr. found himself at the center of controversy after not being included by Carlo Ancelotti in the Brazil national team squad for the international friendlies.
The Santos FC forward also missed the match against Cruzeiro, further fueling attention around his off-field activities.
Neymar reportedly played poker for nearly 24 hours
According to Brazilian outlet LeoDias, Neymar spent his free time playing poker in a session that lasted almost the entire weekend.
While Santos stated his absence was due to workload management, the report claims he played online for nearly 24 hours between Friday and Sunday.
He reportedly spent around $20,000 to remain in the game.
Neymar’s history with poker
This is not the first time Neymar has been linked to poker, as he has been associated with high-stakes games since 2014.
He has even shown his affinity for the game by naming his dog “Poker”.
“Unfortunately, in recent days, due to workload management, I haven’t been able to play, so I’ve had time to do what I enjoy most, which is playing a bit of poker, along with football,” Neymar said.
