Famous Soccer Players Who Are Really Good at Poker

What does it take to be a great athlete? Nature? Nurture? Both? Online, there are lots of different opinions about the detail. But when it comes to the basics, the consensus is: you need physical ability combined with extraordinary mental skills.

And it’s those mental skills that drive competition and motivation; creating an individual who is self-assured, confident, and goal-focused.

It would appear, according to research, that these attributes are likely to make people more inclined to gamble. The number of athletes and sports players who admit to the occasional bet is higher than the baseline population average.

This summer all eyes focus on Germany, as the stars of European soccer battle it out in Euro 2024. It will be a betting bonanza for soccer fans and a feast of red-letter days for the best online sportsbooks across the globe.

Here at Techopedia, we’re checking out the betting form of some of the world’s best soccer players who are also seriously skilled at poker. These elite athletes understand the thrill of the chase, they love to win, and they are on top of their game.

Gerard Pique (Defender) – Spain

Is Gerard Pique the man who has everything?

He dated Colombian superstar singer Shakira for more than a decade. He’s represented his country, at an international level, and is widely considered to be one of the best defenders of his generation.

He owns two football clubs, a fantasy football game, and is heavily involved and invested in esports. What a player.

The 37-year-old is also a professional poker player, with nearly a million dollars in live earnings. In 2019, he won €352,950 when he took second place in the EPT Barcelona €25,000 Single-Day High Roller Event.

Gerard Pique doesn’t play poker for money. His soccer career and business interests mean he’s not losing sleep when he drops $10k at the table.

He plays poker for the thrill of it. He says: “The experience before playing poker is the same as before playing a match. During a match you have to make decisions that are risky, and some are not on the pitch. This is the same as poker. I really enjoy the challenge.”

Teddy Sheringham (Forward) – England

Teddy Sheringham played more than 50 games for England. He still holds the record as the oldest player to appear and score in a Premier League match, at the age of 40 years, 268 days.

When Sheringham finally retired in 2008, he turned his hand to a game he loved: poker.

To date, Sheringham has earned $329,575 playing poker (and counting), including a fifth-place result on the European Poker Tour worth $118,346.

In recent years, poker has taken a back seat, as Sheringham says: “I think I need a bit of buzz in my life. I went from playing football for 25 years and then I had about eight years of playing poker late at night and early mornings, probably ruining my body clock. Now I am firmly back on the golf. It is the buzz of trying to do what you set out to do.”

Neymar (Midfield) – Brazil

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is one of the highest-paid soccer players in the world.

The Brazilian international is currently playing for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, following time at Paris Saint Germain, Barcelona, and Santos.

His prowess on the pitch is well documented. But Neymar is also a pretty good poker player.

In June 2024, he won more than $300,000 on a single hand of poker in a live streamed celebrity game. Neymar loves the game so much he even named his dog Poker.

He also took some heat when he was spotted playing online poker at his daughter’s birthday party.

Neymar plans to play poker professionally when he retires. His favorite hand is pocket tens, after his soccer shirt number.

If you’re planning to face him down at the poker table, you will need deep pockets. Neymar’s net worth is estimated to be around $250 million.

Tony Cascarino (Striker) – Republic of Ireland

Tony Cascarino is the best ex-soccer pro turned poker player, according the Hendon Mob poker rankings.

The former Ireland international has netted nearly $600,000 playing poker and was ranked #51 in the Ireland All Time Money List.

When Cascarino retired in 1999, he acknowledged that to play at the highest level, he needed to ‘go out and learn’.

He happily admits to losing around ￡80,000 in his first year of playing. It was a ‘learning curve’ and he describes it as ‘the best 80 grand I ever spent’.

These days, Cascarino is a pundit for talkSPORT, has appeared in a Euro 2024 television commercial for an Estonian-based online sportsbook, and still enjoys a game of poker.

Gianluigi Buffon (Goalkeeper) – Italy

Buffon is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, with a 17-year professional stint at Juventus.

In 2010, he became an International Ambassador for one of the biggest online poker sites, PokerStars. Buffon is a self-confessed fan of gambling, committed to living life to the max.

These days, his poker tournaments are for friends only.

Buffon is still an advocate for responsible gambling, arguing that betting is not a crime and authorities should distinguish between different types of gambling.

He said: “If a footballer bets on football, he faces punishment, and rightly so; but if he bets on volleyball, basketball, dog racing… he is not committing a crime.”

Cristiano Ronaldo (Striker) – Portugal

Ronaldo is one of the most famous soccer players of his generation; he’s an ambassador for UNICEF Portugal and one of the most marketable sportsmen on the planet.

He’s also the highest paid player right now and has a net worth of more than $800 million.

In 2015, he revealed his love for poker when he signed up as an ambassador with PokerStars.

In 2022, the Committee for Advertising Practice banned footballers from appearing in gambling ads; undermining any sponsorships deals between players and online cardrooms. The ban also extends to social media.

Fortunately, Ronaldo is one of the first billionaires in sport. It’s unlikely he will be losing too much sleep over these lost deals.

Bets & Nets

Soccer and gambling have a tempestuous relationship together. Where there is sport, there is always a bet. If you introduce prohibition, you drive it underground.

Even at this year’s Euros, there are at least two online gambling sites in the list of official sponsors.

However, the compliance rules are strict; most sportsbook marketing is now delivered with a lengthy and detailed warning about the potential problems of online gambling.

Of course, as the players above demonstrate: gambling is only rarely a serious addiction. For most people, it’s a side of excitement, added to the main sporting event.

If you are going to gamble, know your limits, play safe, treat it as entertainment, and enjoy it. It’s not a business – unless you’re a sportsbook.