When poker experiences protection in mainstream information, it is definitely main information. However for poker to function in MARCA, Spain’s most generally learn newspaper, is a special day. However that is precisely what’s occurred, after it nominated Winamax Staff Professional Adrian Mateos for the “High 100 Sports activities 2025” awards.
This milestone marks poker’s first-ever nomination for a sports activities award, with Mateos nominated alongside world sporting stars corresponding to Lamine Yamal, Carlos Alcaraz, and Ilia Topuria.
“A True Honor” says Mateos
The Winamax Staff Professional is nominated within the “Finest Feat of the Yr” class after changing into the fifth participant in historical past to win 5 World Sequence of Poker (WSOP) bracelets at simply 30 years previous in No Restrict Maintain’em. No different participant has ever achieved this feat at such a younger age.
“I am keen about sports activities, and to be included on the identical listing as nice athletes I’ve lengthy admired is a real honor,” mentioned Mateos. “Tennis is my favourite sport: being named alongside Alcaraz is actually one thing particular.”
Mateos will face, amongst others, Spaniard Kilian Jornet, who in 2025 climbed all 72 of the world’s 4,200-meter peaks in simply 31 days, and Russian Alexander Ovechkin, who holds the NHL scoring file, a file held for many years by Wayne Gretzky. Additionally competing is Carlos Soria, an 86-year-old mountaineer who has summited 12 of the 14 eight-thousanders and has confirmed that climbing continues to be attainable nicely into one’s 70s.
“I believe this nomination is nice for poker”
This recognition isn’t solely right down to Mateos’ particular person feats, but in addition for your complete recreation of poker. For the primary time, poker is being evaluated, celebrated, and acknowledged inside the framework of different main sports activities, doubtlessly paving the way in which for brand spanking new generations of gamers and psychological athletes.
“I believe this nomination is nice for poker,” continued Mateos. “Newer generations are already seeing it for what it’s: a thoughts sport. Lots of the stigmas or damaging connotations merely come from a lack of knowledge.”
Who’s Adrian Mateos?
Adrian Mateos is among the most adorned gamers of the fashionable period, with over $54,000,000 gained in stay tournaments thus far, putting him prime of Spanish gamers and among the many prime 10 highest-earning gamers in poker historical past. He has additionally reached the World Poker Index primary world rating thrice: in 2018, 2020, and 2024.
At simply 19 years previous, he gained the WSOP Europe Major Occasion — not a foul occasion to mark your entrance to the world {of professional} poker. Two years later, in 2015, he gained the EPT Monte Carlo Major Occasion, changing into the primary Spanish champion of the circuit. Two years after that, in 2017, he joined Staff Professional Winamax.
At 22, he turned the youngest participant in historical past to win three WSOP bracelets, and in June 2025, he gained his fifth bracelet in No-Restrict Maintain’em, a singular achievement at simply 30 years previous.
Voting is now open on the MARCA web site , and each vote counts in direction of securing this award. The ceremony will happen on December twenty ninth and can be streamed stay on MARCA’s YouTube channel.
Will Shillibier
Managing Editor
He graduated from the College of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He additionally holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports activities Journalism.
