The inclusion of Adrián Mateos in MARCA’s “Top 100 in Sport 2025” is notable for a simple reason. It comes from outside the poker world.
MARCA is one of Europe’s most established sports newspapers. Its annual Los 100 del Deporte list highlights athletes whose performances stood out across the sporting landscape, based on results and consistency. In 2025, for the first time, that list includes a poker player.
The complete selection is available on MARCA’s official website:
https://www.marca.com/los-100-del-deporte.html
Mateos was named in the category “Greatest Sporting Achievement of the Year”, following a career marked by sustained results at the highest level. His record includes five WSOP bracelets earned before the age of 30, a benchmark reached by very few players in the history of poker.
Performance Seen Through a Sports Lens
Poker at the highest level is built on preparation, decision making and consistency over time. Results are measured across long careers, not isolated moments. That same logic guides how performances are evaluated across sport.
The presence of a poker player among athletes from other disciplines reflects a performance-based evaluation, applied on the same terms used across sport.
The Broader Context
For the World Poker Federation, moments like this sit within a long-term process. Poker’s place within the international sports landscape has been shaped through governance, structure and institutional dialogue, including its recognition within the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA).
That work was never about creating moments of validation. It was about building a framework in which poker could be assessed alongside other sports, using clear and consistent criteria.
An External Signal
Adrián Mateos’ name appearing on MARCA’s Top 100 does not alter the nature of poker, nor does it change how the game is played.
It stands as an external signal, coming from outside the poker community, and one that aligns naturally with the way poker already operates at the highest level.
The list was published. The selection was made. Poker is part of it.
