It feels like football is always on our screens, but in truth, professional footballers actually have a lot of spare time. They train throughout the week in the morning and have a game at the weekend, but, beyond having to appear in sponsored photoshoots from time to time, they don’t have all that many obligations.
So, it’s little wonder that footballers often decide to pick up a hobby. Many play video games. Some take up golf. And then there are the footballers who take up poker. It’s easy to see the appeal of the card game, which, like football, is challenging, competitive, and exciting. Plus, it’s not physically demanding, which is ideal for professionals who need to keep their bodies in tip-top condition for gameday.
Gerard Pique formed an integral part of one of Barcelona’s most successful teams, playing nearly 400 times for the Catalan club. In addition to his football skills, the defender, one of the best of his generation, has proven to be an exceptional poker player, appearing in multiple international tournaments in Barcelona. His last outing at a real-world tournament was in 2019, where he finished second and managed to take home more than €350,000, an impressive sum for anyone, even a professional footballer. More recently he’s been spotted in the casinos of Barcelona, where he still lives.
If you watched the German top division between 2006 and 2022, you’ll be familiar with Max Kruse, the smart and crafty attacking midfielder with a knack for scoring. He’s actually still playing, but he’s dropped down to 2. Bundesliga with SC Paderborn, so you may not see him on the TV anymore. But you might see him at an online poker table. He’s so good at poker that he even made it to the final table of the World Series of Poker back in 2014, but now mostly limits himself to playing online.
Ex-Republic of Ireland footballer Tony Cascarino is almost as successful with cards in his hand as he was with a ball at his feet. Since hanging up his boots, Cascarino has been playing poker alongside hosting his own radio show, and has reportedly won upwards of €500,000 at various tournaments across Europe.
Anyone who knows anything about football knows just how competitive – and brilliant – Andriy Shevchenko was. And it’s not just on the pitch that arguably Ukraine’s greatest-ever footballer likes to test himself. The now-retired striker has been known to play online poker tournaments and has gotten so good that he has even played against famous Brazilian poker player, Yuri Dzivielevski. Shevchenko didn’t win the game, but Dzivielevski is one of the best in the world, so there’s no shame in that. Indeed, if the ex-AC Milan star continues to progress, then he may prove to be just as devastatingly brilliant with cards as he is with a ball.
Teddy Sheringham is a legendary English footballer. Now retired, he went to two World Cups with the English national team and scored in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich — one of the most famous goals in Manchester United’s history. He was known for having luck on his side, and that’s something that he’s taken into his poker career. He’s played a host of big-money tournaments over the years, finishing 14th in the European World Series of Poker and 5th in the Vilamoura main event. The ex-striker lives in London and is known to be a regular at the city’s biggest casinos.
Ex-Everton and Real Madrid footballer Thomas Gravesen had an unconventional career, and he’s proven to have an unconventional retirement after hanging up his boots. The Danish footballer is so smitten with poker that he even moved to Las Vegas, the home of poker, and played in high-stakes games at the city’s famous casinos on The Strip.
There’ll be more players who love poker but haven’t yet made the information public, so you never know who you might end up playing against online.
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