What may have seemed like a sure thing ended in a seven-figure disaster for one Polymarket World Cup trader this week. The user bet $1 million that Spain would beat Cape Verde, but that came up short after the longshot squad played one of the tournament’s favorites to a 0-0 draw.
Polymarket trading showed that Spain had a 92% chance to book a win, but the “Blue Sharks” shocked the soccer world by keeping the score level. Cape Verde, ranked 67th in the world by FIFA, grabbed a point in the Group D standings, which also includes Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
If the No. 2-ranked Spanish squad had come out on top, the bettor would have pocketed $85,943. Spain controlled much of the action in the contest, outshooting Cape Verde 23-6 and controlling the ball for 74% of the time.
However, the Spanish couldn’t put the ball into the net. Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha was the star of the match with eight saves
“He was overwhelmed with emotion,” Cape Verde manager Bubista told ESPN. “He is quite an experienced player and has struggled throughout all of these years to be here at this world stage. It was also a cry of resilience.”
Bet Against Spain Pays Off
Cape Verde is an island nation located off the western coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. The country is home to about 530,000 residents and was a Portuguese colony until gaining independence in 1975.
While one Polymarket bettor lost big on the results of the match, another cashed in, according to Forbes. A trader with the name “fishalive” bet $400,000 that Spain wouldn’t win and collected $4.7 million for the draw.
The World Cup is being played in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada and is expected to produce a record $2.9 billion in betting in the U.S. By comparison, the Super Bowl brought in a betting total of $1.76 billion, according to the American Gaming Association, and March Madness produced $3.3 billion.
Poker players following the action will find that a former poker pro is coaching the Bosnian World Cup team. The squad remains in contention in Group B after playing Canada to a 1-1 draw last Friday.
