Drake's World Cup Bet Sparks Avalanche of Jokes, Memes as Fans Fear 'Curse'

Argentina appears to already be at a disadvantage against France ahead of Sunday's World Cup final in Qatar if the infamous "Drake curse" is anything to go by.

The Canadian rapper sparked an avalanche of jokes and memes online after he declared that he would be betting on Argentina to win and get their hands on the illustrious trophy.

In a video shared to Twitter by Link Up TV on Saturday, Drake, who was sitting next to another person, said: "I'll take Argentina. He'll take France. That will be a vibe."

It later emerged that the rapper had placed a $1 million bet on the South American side to claim victory over their opponents.

However, the clip led many online to point to the dreaded "Drake curse," a major internet meme that comes from the apparent downfall or poor performance of teams after they have some sort of connection to the rapper.

Social media has been set ablaze in the past after Drake posed for photos alongside an athlete, voiced enthusiasm for a team, or has worn a team's jersey.

Italian soccer team A.S. Roma even joked about banning its players from taking pictures with Drake during their season.

A tweet, shared in March 2019, read: "All Roma players banned from taking photos with Drake until the end of the season."

One Twitter user posted a clip of several Argentina players from a previous tournament looking visibly upset with the caption: "Argentina fans after seeing Drake bet on them to win tomorrow."

Another social media user shared a clip of gangster Tommy Shelby from the BBC show Peaky Blinders, pointing a gun to his head and screaming. The post was captioned: "Drake just made a bet on Argentina."

Meanwhile, a third Twitter user uploaded a video of Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad screaming inside a car with the caption: "Drake really chose Argentina to win the World Cup."

How to Watch the World Cup Final and What Time

The World Cup final between Argentina and France will air Sunday at 10 a.m. ET and 7 a.m. Pacific in the United States.

It will be broadcast on Fox, FS1, and FS2 in English and on Telemundo and Universo in Spanish. Those who will be streaming can watch the game on fubi TV, the Fox Sports app, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Universo Now and Peacock Premium.

Argentina and France have won the World Cup twice, although the Europeans hope to be the first side to win back-to-back World Cups since 1962 when Brazil won.

The final will also be the last World Cup game played by Messi, who is considered by many to be the best soccer player of all time.

Newsweek has contacted the Argentine and French football associations for comment.