Massive Polymarket Bet Pays Off as Cape Verde Stuns Spain
A bettor on Polymarket made a huge windfall after Spain failed to beat Cape Verde at the 2026 World Cup. The bettor wagered $400,000 that Spain would not win and collected about $4.7 million when the match ended 0-0.
The draw was one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history. Spain, the reigning European champion and one of the tournament favorites, could not score against Cape Verde, an Atlantic island nation of about 500,000 people making its debut in the competition.
Cape Verde earned its first ever World Cup point, helped by 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who plays in Portugal's second division. Before kickoff, the market gave the Spain-not-to-win outcome only about a 9% chance.
The article also described another bettor who lost everything after putting $1 million on a Spain victory, hoping to win $85,000. The piece said that bettor followed advice on Twitter insisting it was a sure thing and that Cape Verde had no chance.
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