Canadian hip-hop superstar Drake has placed a $300,000 wager on his home country’s team to defeat Lionel Messi and Argentina in the highly anticipated 2024 Copa América semifinal.
Should Canada emerge victorious, Drake stands to win a hefty $2.88 million.
Despite Canada being the underdog, Drake’s support comes as no surprise. Known for his unabashed loyalty to his hometown teams, Drake’s enthusiastic endorsement included a playful social media post with the caption, “This could get Messi,” accompanied by a Canadian flag emoji.
Canada’s unexpected journey to the semifinal has been one of the tournament’s most compelling stories. Under the guidance of head coach Jesse Marsch, the team entered the Copa América ranked 11th out of the 16 participating teams, according to FIFA rankings.
This tournament marks Canada’s first appearance in the Copa América, and the men’s national team is chasing its first major tournament title since the North American Nations Cup in 1990.
Tuesday’s match will be the second time Canada faces Argentina in this year’s Copa América. The teams first met on June 20 during the group stage, where Argentina secured a 2-0 victory.
Prior to this year’s tournament, the only other encounter between the two nations was a friendly match in 2010, which Argentina won 5-0.
Adding to the excitement, Argentina’s head coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that Messi will be playing in the semifinal.
The 37-year-old superstar missed the final group-stage match against Peru due to a thigh injury but returned to play all 90 minutes in the quarterfinal against Ecuador.
Canada’s bid for a historic win against Argentina, coupled with Drake’s high-stakes bet, has added an extra layer of excitement to an already thrilling Copa América.
