Canadian rapper, Drake, has lost a $1.5 million (more than N2 billion) bet after Argentina were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Grammy Award-winning musician, born Aubrey Drake Graham, had backed defending champions Argentina to defeat Spain in Sunday’s final at the New York New Jersey Stadium. He placed the wager through betting platform Stake, with a potential payout of more than $5.1 million if Argentina retained the title.
Instead, Spain secured a historic victory through Ferran Torres’ extra-time goal, claiming their second FIFA World Cup crown and ending Drake’s latest high-profile sports bet in defeat.
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The loss has revived discussion about the so-called “Drake curse”, a long-running internet superstition suggesting that teams or athletes publicly backed by the Canadian rapper often go on to lose.
While the theory has no factual basis, it has become a recurring talking point among sports fans whenever Drake places large wagers or publicly supports competitors before major sporting events.
The latest defeat adds to a series of unsuccessful bets by the rapper. Earlier this year, Drake also lost a wager after backing former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor, who was defeated by Max Holloway.
The phenomenon has gained such popularity that fans created a website, TheDrakeCurse.com, dedicated to tracking Drake’s sports betting history and predictions.
Drake has become known for placing multimillion-dollar bets on major sporting events, including football, mixed martial arts, basketball and American football. His betting slips frequently attract widespread attention on social media because of their size and the athletes or teams involved.
Despite the repeated losses, the rapper has continued to make high-profile wagers on major global sporting events.
Spain’s victory over Argentina secured the country’s second FIFA World Cup title, adding to the crown they won in South Africa in 2010.
Luis de la Fuente’s side defeated the defending champions after extra time to complete a remarkable tournament in which they also became the first nation to simultaneously hold the FIFA Men’s World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup titles.
Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, finished as runners-up after failing to defend the title they won at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
