Canadian rapper Drake placed a $1.5 million bet on Argentina to win the 2026 World Cup final within regulation time, meaning victory in 90 minutes, a wager he publicly revealed on July 17 via Instagram [1]. The 2026 FIFA World Cup final was played on August 20 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Spain edged Argentina 1-0 after extra time [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Spain's winning goal came from Ferran Torres in the 106th minute, denying Drake's bet which required Argentina to win within regular time [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Argentina failed to score during the first 90 minutes, resulting in a loss for Drake’s wager and $1.5 million down the drain. If Drake had won, his payout would have been approximately $5.1 million [1, 2, 3, 4].
Argentina captain Lionel Messi led the team, while Spain featured 19-year-old star Lamine Yamal on the squad [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The final was marked by tensions including post-match altercations, with Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes receiving a red card [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Messi expressed his disappointment after the loss, as allegations of rough play and attempts to influence referees emerged [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente praised his team’s defensive strategy, saying, "The key was to keep the opponents as far from the penalty area as possible, and the players fully executed the pre-match plan, resulting in Argentina having no shots on target in 120 minutes" [4].
Drake has a history of high-stakes bets going awry, fueling talk of a "Drake Curse." He lost $1 million betting on Argentina in the 2022 World Cup under similar conditions and also lost wagers on the New England Patriots in the 2026 Super Bowl and tennis player Jannik Sinner in the 2025 US Open [6, 7, 1, 3, 4, 5]. According to TheDrakeCurse.com, Drake's publicly disclosed bets number 87, with a 37.2% win rate (32 wins, 55 losses) [1].
The 2026 World Cup final victory gave Spain their second World Cup title after 16 years, capping an intense match that extended beyond regulation time [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
