The Footballers Celebrating Off-Season with the World Series of Poker

As this year’s football season comes to a triumphant close, a number of world-class players have turned their attention to the upcoming World Series of Poker tournament set to kick off on September 30. While there are numerous differences between the two sports, fans have enjoyed following along as players were seen swapping their boots for bets. Continue reading to find out which footballers are celebrating off-season by getting involved in the 2021 World Series of Poker.

Cristiano Ronaldo

As well as being regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo has added to his roster of many talents by revealing a passion for poker. As well as rubbing shoulders with some of the best in the business, he has also won big at a number of celebrity poker tournaments including one particular match against Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul where he raised £15,000 for children’s charity Save the Children. As one of PokerStars’ latest signings, there is no doubt he will be making the most of his time off from football to focus on this year’s WSOP event.

Andriy Shevchenko

Andriy Shevchenko is a former professional football player having played for Chelsea, Milan, Dynamo Kyiv, and the Ukraine National squad. As well as a striking career on the pitch, he has also carved an impressive career as a professional poker player. During this time, he has participated in a wide range of tournaments including the WSOP Online Bracelet Events hosted by GGPoker WSOP and several charity matches against former sporting stars and celebrities.

Tony Cascarino

Tony Cascarino is a former professional football player hailing from Ireland. Since retiring, he has turned his attention to poker by becoming a semi-professional player and providing commentary for a number of televised matches and tournaments. During his poker playing career so far, he has landed several titles and is regarded as one of Ireland’s most prolific players. With his last game played in 2019, he is sure to be following along with the latest action from this year’s WSOP tournament.

Neymar Jr

Revered as something of a legend in the football world, Neymar Jr has never been shy in expressing his admiration for the game. But with plans to retire from football in the coming years to pursue a professional poker playing career, he has made it clear that the game is much more than just a hobby to him. Despite just one recorded cash to his name during the 2018 Brazilian Series of Poker, he firmly believes the similarities between football and poker is why he has taken to it like a duck to water. If his impressive football career is anything to go by, we may well be seeing Neymar Jr in upcoming WSOP tournaments.

Gerard Piqué

As one of Barcelona’s greatest players and one of the world’s most celebrated defenders, Gerard Piqué has also wowed with his impressive poker playing skills in recent years. This includes taking part in the European Poker Tour Barcelona €25,000 Single-Day High Roller Event where he finished in second place taking home a cool cash prize of €352,950. He has also participated in the World Series of Poker a handful of times since 2013 against some of the sport’s most well-known players.

With a number of similarities between the sport of football and poker, it is no surprise that several sporting stars have made the switch. Whether as a hobby or as an extension of their professional sporting career, Cristiano Rolando, Andriy Shevchenko, Tony Cascarino, Neymar Jr, and Gerard Piqué are just some of the famous faces set to use their downtime to get involved in this year’s World Series of Poker tournament.