Two days before his São Paulo New Year’s Eve bash last Friday, the soccer superstar garnered attention for a non-football related event. He bested 2011 World Series of Poker champion, Brazilian Andre Akkari (a descendant of a Lebanese ancestor who emigrated to Brazil early last century).
In Instagram photos from Saturday, Neymar bore a striking resemblance to Egyptian actor Mohamed Ramadan, though the 34-year-old actor is four years Neymar’s senior. The Paris Saint-Germain and Brazilian national team forward is 30.
Birthday Beatdown
Neymar hosted a private poker competition in São Paulo, featuring Akkari and other poker pros. The footballer, who has previously expressed a post-soccer poker ambition, reportedly cleaned Akkari out on his 48th birthday. Brazilian media accounts of the match, which occurred last Wednesday, failed to specify the stakes, but images show Neymar accumulating all of Akkari’s chips.
Neymar seized all of Akari’s chips; the pair later collaborated the following day.
Neymar’s resemblance to Ramadan extends to a shared finger-raising gesture, reminiscent of Ramadan’s “Number One” pose. Neymar, however, denied any deliberate imitation. The image surfaced from his December 31st party at his newly purchased seven-bedroom São Paulo villa, costing over $3.3 million.
Neymar’s recuperation, which started in late November and might extend for another week, is split between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. This follows a significant ankle injury from a match against Saint-Étienne in the French League, prompting a club announcement of a 6-8 week absence for the player’s sprained left ankle.
