Forty-eight hours prior to his New Year’s Eve bash in São Paulo last Friday, Neymar Jr. garnered attention for an activity far removed from the soccer pitch. He engaged in a high-stakes poker match against the 2011 World Series of Poker champion, Brazilian pro Felipe “Mojave” Akkari, whose family roots trace back to Tripoli, Lebanon, via his grandfather’s emigration to Brazil in the early 1900s.
In images shared on Instagram Saturday, the soccer superstar bore a striking resemblance to Egyptian actor Mohamed Ramadan. While the 34-year-old actor is four years Neymar’s senior, the Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil forward’s pose—mimicking Ramadan’s signature “Number One” finger gesture from his hit song—sparked online comparisons, despite Neymar’s denial of intentional homage. The photograph was captured on December 31st at Neymar’s extravagant seven-bedroom São Paulo villa, recently acquired for over $3.3 million.
Neymar personally orchestrated the São Paulo poker tournament, inviting Akkari and other poker professionals to join him. This event hinted at Neymar’s post-football aspirations, previously expressed as a pursuit of professional poker.
