The World Cup final delivered a massive payday for one crypto whale and a costly loss for rapper Drake. A trader using the handle 'yamal19' bet $1.95 million on Spain to win at 59.1% odds, pocketing a profit of $1,349,881 when the team lifted the trophy. On the other side, Drake lost a $1.5 million bet — placed in USDT — on Argentina to win in regulation time. The match went to extra time, so his wager lost even though Argentina could have won later.
The $1.95M bet that paid off
Yamal19's bet on Spain was one of the largest single wagers on Polymarket during the tournament. The whale earned a 69.14% return on the $1.95 million stake. The platform didn't disclose whether the trader placed additional bets, but the win alone ranks among the biggest payouts of the World Cup.
Drake's losing wager
Drake's $1.5 million bet on Argentina to win in regulation time didn't pan out. The match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, triggering the loss condition. The rapper has been active in crypto betting before, but this is his most publicized loss. The bet was in USDT, a stablecoin, so the loss was in dollar terms.
Platforms see record volume
Polymarket recorded $4.33 billion in trading volume on its World Cup markets, while Kalshi logged $1.89 billion. The tournament also brought in 3 million new users to Polymarket. The numbers show how prediction markets are becoming a major venue for sports betting, especially for crypto-native users.
Other big winners and losers
Not everyone lost. A trader known as 'fishalive' turned roughly $427,000 into over $4.7 million earlier in the tournament on a Spain versus Cape Verde match. But the losses were also steep. A whale called 'ColdSway' incurred $11.6 million in losses during the World Cup. Another trader, 'gud.hl', bet $1.23 million on Argentina at 10% odds, aiming for a $12.35 million payout, but lost the entire amount when Spain won.
The World Cup is over, but the platforms are already looking ahead to the next big events. Polymarket and Kalshi will likely see continued action as users shift focus to other sports and political markets.
