Canadian rapper Drake won more than $1 million after Canada beat South Africa in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32, ending Bafana Bafana’s historic run and adding another chapter to the musician’s record of high-stakes sports betting, four years after he lost a £837,000 wager on Argentina in the 2022 final.
- Drake won over $1 million after betting on Canada to defeat South Africa at the FIFA World Cup, earning a profit of approximately $231,000.
- He publicized his bet on Instagram after a private conversation with South African DJ Black Coffee increased the stakes.
- Drake is known for his high-profile sports bets, having wagered close to £1 billion on major global events through the crypto casino Stake since 2021.
- South Africa’s loss ended their historic World Cup run, which had captured attention in their home country and across Africa.
The Toronto-born rapper staked $770,000 on Canada to defeat South Africa, with the wager carrying a potential payout of $1,001,000 and earning him a profit of about $231,000 after Canada’s victory.
Drake disclosed the bet on Instagram before the match, saying it followed a private exchange with 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 post added a celebrity subplot to one of the biggest matches in South Africa’s football history, as Bafana Bafana sought to extend their best run at a FIFA World Cup.
South Africa’s historic run ends
Canada’s victory came at SoFi Stadium, the $5.5 billion Los Angeles venue regarded as the world’s most expensive sports stadium, where midfielder Stephen Eustáquio scored a late volley in second-half stoppage time to seal a 1-0 win for the co-hosts.
The result sent Canada into the Round of 16 for the first time at a FIFA World Cup and ended South Africa’s strongest campaign at the tournament.
The Hugo Broos-led side had impressed in the group stage and sealed progression with a 1-0 win over South Korea, giving Bafana Bafana rare global visibility at an expanded World Cup.
However, the defeat to Canada denied South Africa a place in the last 16 and ended a campaign that had raised interest in the team at home and across the continent.
Drake’s betting history
The payout adds to Drake’s long record of public sports wagers, with reports suggesting the rapper has risked close to £1 billion across sports and casino betting in recent years.
His wagers have covered major global events, including the Super Bowl, NBA playoffs, UFC title fights, football derbies, Formula One races and the FIFA World Cup.
In 2022, Drake staked £837,000 on Argentina to beat France in the World Cup final, a bet that would have returned more than £2.26 million had Argentina won in regular time.
The wager failed after Kylian Mbappé’s late equaliser forced extra time, before Argentina went on to win the final on penalties.
Drake has also placed several public wagers through Stake, the crypto casino platform with which he has been associated since 2021 under the name DeepPockets6.
