Neymar skipped PSG's title celebration to play poker after attending F1 Monaco GP
As the curtains came down on Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) title victory, Neymar was conspicuous by his absence. According to Express, the Samba winger traded the sparkling floodlights of Parc des Princes for the equally dazzling glitz of a Monte Carlo casino in Monaco.
The superstar found himself entrenched in a poker game on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix, leaving his teammates to celebrate their Ligue 1 championship triumph. Following the thrill of the Monaco Grand Prix, the 31-year-old swapped his football boots for poker chips.
Neymar wasn't just playing any game of poker: the setting was nothing short of a star-studded extravaganza. Invitations had been extended to members of the F1 media and other celebrities to partake in the game.
Amidst the glitz and glamour, Neymar held the limelight, becoming the subject of many pictures and videos, due to his absence from the Ligue 1 title celebrations.
Back in Paris, Neymar's comrades were jubilantly celebrating their latest Ligue 1 title. A hard-fought 1-1 draw against RC Strasbourg confirmed their status as champions. It was Lionel Messi's pivotal goal that had initially put PSG in front before Strasbourg equalized in the closing minutes of the match.
Regardless of Lens' 3-0 drubbing of Ajaccio, PSG needed only to avoid defeat to clinch their title. As the final whistle sounded, Neymar's absence was hard to ignore. Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Gianluigi Donnarumma savored the victory, while the injured Neymar was nowhere to be found.
Teammates like Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, and Presnel Kimpembe, despite not playing, showed solidarity by taking their spots in the stands. But Neymar, it seemed, had a different idea of what constituted a well-spent evening.
His chair, symbolically empty, served as a poignant reminder of his choice to bet on a different kind of game that night.
Lionel Messi looks set to leave PSG after guiding them to consecutive Ligue 1 titles
Numerous reports indicate that Lionel Messi is poised to leave the Parisians at the end of his current contract. The 35-year-old maestro, already with a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia on his table, is reportedly drawing interest from his former stomping ground Barcelona.
Messi's time in Paris has been a roller coaster of emotions, with a dip in form post his return from Argentina's triumphant World Cup campaign. Notably, this led to some palpable frustration among the PSG faithful. The tension escalated further when he was handed a suspension by the club following an unsanctioned jaunt to Saudi Arabia.
However, despite the turbulence, it was Messi's magic on the pitch that ended up adding the silver lining to their season. His crucial strike in the title decider allowed the fans to kick-start the party, serving as a powerful reminder of Messi's pedigree.
This clinching goal added another feather to Messi's cap - his 43rd major trophy across his illustrious club and country career.