Drake bets $770,000 on Canada to beat South Africa at World Cup
Global music superstar Drake has once again grabbed headlines after placing a massive $770,000 wager on Canada to defeat South Africa in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Grammy-winning rapper backed his home nation through betting platform Stake, with the wager carrying a potential payout of $1 million should Canada advance to the Round of 16.
Drake takes on South Africa
Details of the bet were revealed by Stake, the betting platform with which Drake has maintained a long-running partnership. Adding some humor to the occasion, Drake referenced South African DJ Black Coffee while revealing the wager.
"#realblackcoffee was chirping in the DM. I had to raise my stakes."
The post quickly went viral across social media, drawing reactions from football fans around the world ahead of the knockout clash.
Fans react to the "Drake Curse"
As with many of Drake's high-profile sports wagers, attention quickly shifted to the so-called "Drake Curse" — the popular belief that teams and athletes he publicly supports often suffer disappointing results. Many fans joked that Canada could now be in trouble.
Some social media reactions included:
- "Hope Drake don't jinx them."
- "Drake is cooking."
- "The Drake curse is real."
- "Canada vs South Africa just became personal."
Whether superstition or coincidence, Drake's betting history has made every major wager a talking point.
Canada chasing historic success
Canada entered the knockout stage looking to continue an impressive World Cup campaign after advancing beyond the group stage. Led by head coach Jesse Marsch, Les Rouges have become one of the tournament's surprise packages and are aiming to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.
South Africa, meanwhile, have also exceeded expectations and are determined to continue Africa's remarkable showing at the expanded 48-team World Cup.
Drake's long history of big bets
Drake is no stranger to placing headline-making wagers. Over recent years, he has publicly backed teams and athletes across the NBA, NFL, UFC, boxing, and international football.
While some bets have produced huge payouts, others have ended in costly defeats, helping fuel the ongoing "Drake Curse" narrative among sports fans.
A knockout match with extra attention
Drake's latest wager has added another layer of intrigue to an already high-stakes World Cup fixture. If Canada wins, Drake will collect a $1 million payout while Les Rouges continue their historic tournament run.
If South Africa pull off the upset, supporters of Bafana Bafana will no doubt claim another famous victim of the infamous "Drake Curse."
SportsLigue
