Canada are at the World Cup for just the third time, and for the first time they are doing so as co-hosts on home soil. But as Jesse Marsch’s side prepares to face Qatar on June 18 in its second Group B match at BC Place in Vancouver, some supporters are wondering whether one familiar fan could bring unwanted luck with him: Drake.
The Canadian rapper, born Aubrey Drake Graham, is one of the country’s most recognizable stars. In sports betting circles, though, his name is often linked to a long-running online theory known as the ‘Drake curse’.
The idea is simple: whenever Drake publicly backs a team or athlete, poses with them, or puts money on them, they somehow end up losing.
He has already been spotted cheering on Canada from the stands during the team’s opening World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. He has also collaborated with the national side on a Drake NOCTA x Nike collection tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
That has done little to calm fans who believe in the curse. In 2024, Drake put down $300,000 on Canada to beat Argentina in Copa America and shared the wager with the caption:
“This could get Messi.”
Canada went on to lose 2-0.
With that in mind, there is renewed curiosity over whether his support could again spell trouble. Still, there is at least one major exception often brought up by those skeptical of the theory: the Toronto Raptors, Drake’s favorite NBA team, won their first championship in 2019.
There are, however, plenty of examples that believers in the curse like to cite.
One of the most recent involved American football. Drake reportedly wagered $1,000,000 on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl. They did not, instead falling to the Seattle Seahawks in a one-sided defeat.
He is also said to have backed the Kansas City Chiefs in a later Super Bowl, only for them to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The supposed curse has also followed teams closer to home. Drake has long been linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have struggled to turn playoff support into a Stanley Cup run, and the theory resurfaced again after he was seen backing another Canadian team in high-profile postseason action.
Afterward, he jokingly shifted the blame toward fellow Canadian star Justin Bieber, who had been seen in the crowd, posting on Instagram:
“Bieber curse…”
Some fans trace the origin of the whole idea back to college basketball. Kentucky Wildcats supporters grew frustrated after Drake became a regular presence around the program following his friendship with head coach John Calipari in 2012.
According to the theory, Kentucky’s fortunes dipped from there. The Wildcats had been consistent postseason contenders, but have not won a title since his appearances around the team began.
The superstition has not stayed in North America either.
Drake has long shown affection for London, but Arsenal fans may not see that as a good thing. Reports have linked him to the club in the past, and supporters online have often pointed to a run of bad results after he was seen in the stands or wearing club colors.
And it is not only teams that have been drawn into the story.
Serena Williams is often mentioned in conversations about the curse. In 2015, she was chasing a historic run that would have made her the first woman to win all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same year since 1988. Instead, she was stunned by Roberta Vinci in the US Open semifinals.
At the time, rumors were circulating that Williams and Drake were dating, and some fans blamed his presence in the crowd for her defeat.
That narrative did not hold forever, though. Three years later, Drake attended Wimbledon to watch Williams play Italy’s Camila Giorgi in the singles quarter-final, and this time she won.
Other stars said to have been caught up in the superstition include Conor McGregor and Anthony Joshua, both of whom were photographed with Drake before high-profile defeats.
Drake himself is clearly aware of the reputation. Speaking in an interview with online casino and sports betting company Stake, he said:
“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,”
Canada’s fans will be hoping that he is right, and that his backing helps rather than hurts when the team takes the field against Qatar in Vancouver.