Adrián Mateos: first-ever nomination of a poker player for the MARCA Top 100 award

Five-time WSOP bracelet winner Adrian Mateos has become the first poker player to be nominated for the prestigious MARCA Top 100 Sports 2025 award in Spain.

Spanish professional poker player Adrian Mateos, a member of the Winamax Team Pro, has been nominated for the prestigious MARCA "Top 100 Sports 2025" award. This event is historic not only for Mateos himself but also for the entire poker community: for the first time ever, a poker player has been included among the nominees for a sports award of this level in Spain. Poker Reaches a New Level of Recognition in Sports MARCA is the largest sports publication in Spain and one of the most widely read in Europe. In 2025, it is hosting the "Top 100 Sports" awards ceremony, which honors the most outstanding achievements by athletes over the year. This year’s nominees include global sports stars such as Lamine Yamal, Carlos Alcaraz, Ilia Topuria, as well as legends like Kilian Jornet, Alexander Ovechkin, and Carlos Soria. For the first time in the award’s history, a poker player—Adrian Mateos—has been nominated. His achievement is recognized in the "Best Feat of the Year" category for becoming the fifth player in history to win five World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets at just 30 years old—no one has ever reached this milestone at such a young age. Adrian Mateos’ Achievements: The Road to Poker Greatness Adrian Mateos is one of the most decorated poker players of our time. Over his career, he has earned more than $54,000,000 in live tournaments, making him not only the most successful player from Spain but also one of the top ten winningest players in poker history. Mateos has topped the Global Poker Index world ranking three times—in 2018, 2020, and 2024. His journey to the top of professional poker began early: at just 19, he won the WSOP Europe Main Event, and two years later—in 2015—he became the champion of the European Poker Tour Main Event in Monte Carlo, becoming the first Spaniard to claim this title. In 2017, Mateos joined the Winamax Team Pro. At 22, he became the youngest player ever to win three WSOP bracelets. In June 2025, Adrian triumphed in a No-Limit Hold'em tournament, capturing his fifth WSOP bracelet—a unique achievement for someone so young. Competitors and the Significance of the Nomination In the "Best Feat of the Year" category, Mateos will compete with outstanding athletes: Kilian Jornet — the Spanish mountaineer who, in 2025, climbed all 72 of the world’s peaks over 4,200 meters in just 31 days. Alexander Ovechkin — the Russian hockey player who broke the NHL scoring record that had belonged to Wayne Gretzky for decades. Carlos Soria — the 86-year-old Spanish mountaineer who has climbed 12 of the world’s 14 eight-thousanders, proving that mountaineering is possible even in old age. Carlos Alcaraz — one of the brightest tennis players of today. Lamine Yamal and Ilia Topuria — young stars in football and mixed martial arts, respectively. Mateos himself noted that it is a great honor for him to be listed alongside athletes like Alcaraz, as tennis is his favorite sport. He emphasized that the nomination is important not only for him personally but also for the entire poker community: "I believe this nomination is a great achievement for poker. The new generation already sees poker as a mind sport, and many prejudices arise only from a lack of information." Impact on the Recognition of Poker as a Sport Including a poker player among the nominees for a sports award is an important step toward recognizing poker as a mind sport on par with traditional disciplines. Until now, poker has rarely been considered in a sporting context, despite the fact that success in the game requires a high level of skill, psychological resilience, and strategic thinking. Mateos emphasized that such recognition could open the door for new generations of players and help change society’s perception of poker. According to him, many negative stereotypes about poker are due to a lack of understanding of the game’s true nature. How Voting and the Awards Ceremony Work Voting for the nominees is already open on the official MARCA website. Every vote counts and can influence the outcome of the award. The "Top 100 Sports 2025" awards ceremony will take place on December 29, and its live broadcast will be available on MARCA’s official YouTube channel. Quick Facts: Adrian Mateos’ Main Achievements Total live tournament winnings: over $54,000,000 Five-time WSOP (World Series of Poker) bracelet winner WSOP Europe Main Event champion at age 19 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event champion in 2015 Three-time Global Poker Index world #1 (2018, 2020, 2024) Member of Winamax Team Pro since 2017 What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, the news of Adrian Mateos’ nomination is not only a source of pride for the development of poker but also an important signal that poker is increasingly being recognized as a mind sport on par with chess or esports. Recognition at the level of national sports awards opens up new opportunities for the popularization of poker, attracting new players, and the legalization of poker activities. PPPoker club players can use this example for their own development: Mateos’ success proves that a systematic approach, learning, and regular practice can lead to world-class achievements even at a young age. Moreover, the recognition of poker as a sport may encourage the emergence of new club tournament formats, as well as increased interest in disciplines where not only luck but also skill, strategy, and psychological resilience are crucial. Overall, such events help strengthen poker’s status in the global sports community, and thus increase opportunities for players of all levels—from amateurs to professionals, including those in online PPPoker clubs.