Yesterday, July 19th, the world watched as Spain and Argentina competed in the FIFA World Cup final – arguably the largest and most exciting event in sports, happening only every four years.
The game, predictably, drew high-stakes gamblers including the rapper Drake. Unfortunately for him – and others who bet on the same outcome – the result wasn’t what they expected, costing them millions in cryptocurrency.
Was Messi Destined to Lose?
As the game approached, you could really feel the excitement – and the pressure – building. I noticed a lot of high-rollers, like Drake, were making some serious bets, clearly hoping to predict the outcome correctly and win big.
Drake wagered $1.5 million in cryptocurrency (USDT) on Argentina winning the championship game within the standard 90 minutes, including any added time. Argentina was considered the less likely team to win, but if they had, Drake would have earned over $5 million in crypto.
Despite Canada’s hopes, they lost the match. Spain played much better throughout the entire game, controlling possession and attacking consistently, but couldn’t score more than one goal thanks to an incredible performance by Argentina’s goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez, who kept them in the game for 106 minutes.
It’s highly unlikely Spain’s success was due to a bet made against them – that idea relies on believing in luck and superstitions. However, there’s a noticeable pattern of teams and athletes supported by the rapper Drake losing, leading to a popular idea called “the Drake Curse.”
Earlier this month, he bet $1 million worth of Bitcoin on Conor McGregor’s return to UFC fighting. McGregor hadn’t fought in five years and faced Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, but unfortunately lost the match quickly – in just the first round.
Drake wasn’t alone in losing a lot of money after Argentina didn’t win the World Cup again. According to Lookonchain, one bettor wagered $1.23 million on Lionel Messi and his team winning, when the odds were about 10%. If Argentina had won, that bet would have paid out over $10 million.
The Right Bet
I’ve been watching the World Cup crypto bets, and it’s amazing to see how some people really nailed it. There was one big player – a whale, they call them – who made a massive bet on Spain winning just before the final. They created a new wallet on Polymarket and put almost $2 million on it when the odds were still pretty good, at around 59%. Talk about confidence – and a huge payout!
“He won and made $1.35M in just a few hours,” Lookonchain stated.
2026-07-20 15:08