An anonymous bettor using the name “Slickvenom” lost $1.3 million after backing the outcome that Germany would not beat Ivory Coast in a World Cup 2026 match in Toronto. The wager was placed on the decentralized betting platform Polymarket and, if it had won, would have paid out $3,925,520.96, leaving a potential profit of more than $2.6 million.
For much of the match, the bet looked set to succeed. Ivory Coast led early through Franck Kessie and held on deep into the game, and even after Germany equalized for 1-1, a draw still suited the bettor. The position appeared to be cashing in until the final moments at BMO Field.
In the 95th minute, Joshua Kimmich set up Deniz Undav inside the box, and the German forward scored the decisive goal for a 2-1 win. The goal secured Germany’s place in the next round of the tournament and wiped out the entire stake.
The loss, described as one of the biggest and boldest betting swings seen so far in World Cup 2026, quickly went viral on social media. The report said this was another example of how sharply fortunes can change in the tournament, especially for large-scale “whale” bets in sports and crypto markets.