Paris Saint Germain forward Neymar has recently become close to Andre Akkari who is a professional Poker player in order to learn more about the game.
The world’s most expensive player is said to be using much of his free time to play the game. Neymar has recently played his former teammate Gerrard Pique, golfer Sergio Garcia and PSG team-mate Giovani Lo Celso at a charity tournament at the PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona.
Akkari revealed how the 26-year-old is addicted to the game, “He plays on Saturday for PSG, on Sunday he plays poker tournaments online. He’s getting better, he’s good. He’s probably in the top level of non-professional players. He’s improving a lot, he’s asking questions every day to get better at poker.”
The Brazilian poker player believes that his soccer skills come in handy while playing poker, “We discuss hands and strategies but he’s a soccer player – he’s not a professional poker player. Although I think it helps a lot in the way you make decisions. We talk a lot about that.
“In poker, you are looking for the optimum decision every hand, every minute, every second. I don’t play soccer but I talk to him about it – and he talks about the micro decision-making aspect of that.
“Sometimes he forgets about micro decisions and poker is about that.”
Neymar came into prominence at an early age at Santos, where he made his professional debut aged 17. He helped the club win two successive Campeonato Paulista championships, a Copa do Brasil, and the 2011 Copa Libertadores, Santos’ first Copa Libertadores since 1963. Neymar was twice named the South American Footballer of the Year, in 2011 and 2012, before moving to Europe to join Barcelona. As part of Barça’s attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, he won the continental treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League, and came third for the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2015 for his performances. He followed this up by attaining a domestic double in the 2015–16 season. In August 2017, Neymar transferred from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in a move worth €222 million, making him the world’s most expensive player. In France, he claimed a domestic treble of Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Coupe de la Ligue, and was voted as the league’s Player of the Year.
With 57 goals in 90 matches for Brazil since debuting at age 18, Neymar is the third highest goalscorer for his national team, trailing only Pelé and Ronaldo. He was a key player in Brazil’s victories at the 2011 South American Youth Championship, where he finished as leading goalscorer, and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, where he won the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. His participation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2015 Copa América was cut short by injury and a suspension, respectively. The following year, he captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men’s football at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and two years later, featured at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Known for his dribbling, finishing, skill, pace, and ability to play with both feet, Neymar has earned comparisons to former Brazil and Santos forward Pelé. Off the pitch, he ranks among the world’s most prominent sportsmen; SportsPro named him the most marketable athlete in the world in 2012 and 2013, and ESPN cited him as the world’s fourth-most famous athlete in 2016.