Canada’s dramatic 1-0 victory over South Africa in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has ended the long-running “Drake Curse” in football, earning the Canadian rapper a payout of more than $1 million.
Drake had staked $770,000 on Canada to defeat South Africa, with the wager carrying a potential return of $1,001,000.
Canada’s victory secured the payout and handed the rapper a profit of about $231,000.
Before the match, Drake revealed on his Instagram account that the bet was inspired by a message from South African DJ Black Coffee.
“@realblackcoffee was chirping in the DM I had to raise the STAKES,” he wrote while sharing a screenshot of the wager.
The result temporarily silenced one of sport’s most enduring superstitions, popularly known as the “Drake Curse.”
The superstition suggests that teams or athletes publicly backed by Drake, whether through photographs, jerseys or high-profile betting slips, often go on to suffer disappointing defeats.
Over the years, the rapper has endured several costly losses after placing major wagers on sporting events.
Among the most notable were a $1 million bet on Arsenal to defeat Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final, a $1 million wager on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, an $800,000 bet on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals and a $300,000 wager on Canada to beat Argentina in the Copa América semi-final.
Canada’s victory over South Africa, however, marked one of the rare occasions the so-called curse failed to materialise.
For much of the contest, however, it appeared the much-talked-about “Drake Curse” was once again taking effect as Canada struggled to break down South Africa’s resilient defence.
The breakthrough came in dramatic fashion at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where midfielder Stephen Eustáquio struck a stunning stoppage-time winner to send the co-hosts into the Round of 16 for the first time in the country’s World Cup history.
The defeat ended South Africa’s finest World Cup campaign after Bafana Bafana reached the knockout stage for the first time.
Hugo Broos’ side had progressed from Group A after finishing runners-up behind co-hosts Mexico, ahead of South Korea and Czechia.
Drake has built a reputation for losing high-profile wagers on major sporting events, including football, basketball, boxing and mixed martial arts.
This time, however, Canada’s late winner ensured the rapper walked away with both a historic football victory and a payout of more than $1 million.
