Drake's $1.5m World Cup Bet on Argentina Falls Short as Spain Triumphs

Canadian rapper Drake has suffered a substantial loss after wagering $1.5 million on Argentina to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Spain. The bet, disclosed via Instagram the day before the match, would have yielded over $5.1 million had Lionel Scaloni's side prevailed. Instead, Spain secured a 1-0 victory in extra time, with Ferran Torres netting the decisive goal in the 106th minute, claiming La Roja's second world title.

Social media erupted in familiar fashion following Spain's win, with users invoking the so-called "Drake Curse"—the superstition that teams or athletes publicly backed by the rapper are prone to losing. The narrative gained further traction as this defeat came less than two weeks after Drake reportedly lost another $1 million betting on Conor McGregor, missing out on a potential $2.85 million payout.

Argentina has been part of Drake's betting history before. During the 2024 Copa América, he placed $300,000 on Canada to beat Argentina in the semifinals—a bet that would have returned $2.88 million. One notable exception occurred at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, when Drake backed Argentina to defeat France; Lionel Messi's team won on penalties, though fans largely dismissed that outcome as an anomaly.

Interestingly, betting patterns ahead of the semifinal between Argentina and England revealed regional differences across the UK. According to Entain, 51% of bets from Scottish customers backed Argentina, while only 34% supported England.