'Drake Curse' has seen 5 huge sports teams lose after his big bets as Canada holds its breath
It’s the third time in history Canada have made it to the World Cup — this year as a host nation. Could the team benefit from the home advantage? Not if Drake has anything to do with it, fans fear, as they take on Qatar today (June 18) in their second World Cup Group Stage match.
Canadian-born rapper Drake, full name, Aubrey Drake Graham, 39, is one of the biggest names in the world of music, especially in his home nation, Canada. However, it’s a different story in the world of betting. Enter: the ‘Drake curse’.
The Drake Curse is an internet fan theory that when any athlete or team publicly supported, photographed, or wagered on by the star will go on to lose.
Drake has already been seen supporting his beloved Canada in the crowd during their first World Cup fix. The Marvin’s Room hitmaker has also teamed up with the soccer team for their tracksuit for a Drake NOCTA x Nike collaboration for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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But the Drake Curse could be following him. In 2024, he placed a $300,000 bet that the team would beat Argentina in the Copa America tournament, captioning his post: “This could get Messi." Canada went on to lose 2-0.
Here, we revisit others who affected by the Drake Curse, and ponder will his beloved Canadian soccer team also see the effects? Worth noting: one team who famously survived the curse were the rapper's beloved Toronto Raptors, who won their first NBA Championship in history in 2019.
New England Patriots
Most recently, Drake placed a $1,000,000 bet on the New England Patriots to win the 2026 Super Bowl, which of course, they didn’t.
They were beaten 29-13 by the Seattle Seahawks. Ouch!
Kansas City Chiefs
Maybe ask the rapper to stay away from your team during Super Bowl season - as it looks like he may have ‘cursed’ the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025, too.
In a similar story, the God’s Plan singer reportedly placed a $1 million bet on Travis Kelce’s team - who famously lost to the Philadelphia Eagles - the former team of Jason Kelce.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Drake curse is in full effect when it comes to hometown teams as well.
The rapper once again bet $1 million on the hockey team to beat the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series in 2025.
In the aftermath, he teasingly ‘called out’ fellow Canadian celeb, Justin Bieber, who could be seen in the crowd.
On his Instagram story, the singer teased: “Bieber curse…”
Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats fans weren’t best pleased with Drake as he started appearing at their games after his friendship with head coach John Calipari in 2012.
In fact, it’s thought that this was where the Drake Curse began. Before this, the Wildcats consistently made the playoffs, but haven’t won one since.
Arsenal
Unfortunately, the curse also appears to be international.
Drake makes it no secret how much he loves London - but Arsenal fans may not love him.
Despite them winning the Premier League this season, Gunners fans were left heartbroken when they lost to PSG in the Champions League Final at the end of last month, and reportedly Drake once again placed one of his infamous $1m bets.
Serena Williams
It’s not just teams that Drake seems to curse, it’s people too. In 2015, Serena Williams was famously trying to become the first woman to win all four Grand Slam titles in a row in 2015. However, her dream was shattered when she lost to Roberta Vinci in the US Open semifinals.
Around the time, rumors had been swirling that the two were dating, with many blaming the star for Williams’ loss, as he cheered her on in the crowd.
However, three years later, the rapper headed to Centre Court to watch his rumored ex play in the Wimbledon singles quarter-final against Italy's Camila Giorgi, which she ended up winning. Phew!
Connor McGregor and Anthony Joshua have also ‘fallen victim to the curse,' having taken pictures with the rapper before big loses.
The rapper is not oblivious to his bad luck, having commented on it during an interview with online casino and sports betting company, Stake.
“The Drake curse is funny to me, honestly. First of all, the Raptors won a championship, so nobody could ever talk to me about the Drake Curse," he said about the 2019 Championships.
Well, let’s hope the same happens for Team Canada!
Kiesha Dosanjh