The FIFA World Cup has produced some of the most memorable moments in football history. It has also created some of the biggest betting wins ever recorded.
From a £1 accumulator that returned more than £250,000 to a bet on Luis Suarez biting an opponent, these bets prove that sometimes reality is stranger than fiction.
Below are 10 of the craziest World Cup bets that actually won, with combined returns worth well over £2.5 million (we made a YouTube video about this here if you’d prefer to watch).
Quick Overview: Some of the bets…
- A £1 World Cup accumulator won over £251,000 during the 2018 tournament.
- A Norwegian bettor won nearly £700 by betting on Luis Suarez biting an opponent at the 2014 World Cup.
- Three bettors backed Germany to beat Brazil 7-1 at odds of 999/1 and collected over £8,000.
- TrainwrecksTV won approximately £1.3 million from a £25,000 World Cup accumulator in 2022.
- One of the most famous football family bets saw Harry Wilson’s grandfather win £125,000 from a £50 bet placed when Wilson was a toddler.
- The largest payout on this list came from a £30,000 World Cup bet that returned £424,000.
1) The £1 World Cup Accumulator That Won £251,386
During the 2018 World Cup in Russia, a 36-year-old woman from Sussex placed a £1 accumulator featuring six unlikely outcomes.
The bet included Spain drawing with Morocco, Brazil drawing with Colombia, Sweden beating Mexico, South Korea shocking Germany and France winning the tournament.
Most bettors would have written the slip off long before the knockout stages. Instead, every selection landed.
When France defeated Croatia in the final, the £1 accumulator paid an incredible £251,386.50 at odds of more than 250,000/1.
2) The Luis Suarez Biting Bet
Some betting markets are unusual. This one was downright bizarre.
Before the 2014 World Cup, Norwegian bettor Thomas Syversen decided to back Luis Suarez to bite another player during the tournament.
Considering Suarez had already been involved in previous biting incidents, bookmakers offered odds of 175/1 – although the best betting exchanges offered significantly more.
In Uruguay’s group match against Italy, Suarez bit Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder. The incident became one of the most infamous moments in World Cup history.
Syversen reportedly turned around £3.70 into nearly £700.
3) Germany to Beat Brazil 7-1 at 999/1
Brazil entered the 2014 World Cup semi-final as strong favourites, despite losing Neymar to injury earlier in the tournament.
However, three bettors on the Betfair Exchange took a very different view.
They backed Germany to defeat Brazil 7-1 at the maximum available odds of 999/1.
At 7-0, the bet was close but not quite there. Then Oscar scored a late consolation goal for Brazil, making the final score 7-1.
The bettors reportedly turned a combined stake of around £8 into £8,184.
4) The £25,000 Bet That Won £1.3 Million
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar generated plenty of headlines, but few were bigger than a bet placed by online streamer TrainwrecksTV.
He placed a £25,000 four-fold accumulator requiring:
- France to beat Australia
- Denmark to draw with Tunisia
- Mexico to draw with Poland
- Saudi Arabia to beat Argentina
The first three selections landed, but Saudi Arabia defeating Lionel Messi’s Argentina looked highly unlikely. Despite going behind early, Saudi Arabia produced one of the greatest World Cup upsets ever.
The result turned the £25,000 stake into approximately £1.3 million. How he got through the source of funds checks though, remains a mystery by modern standards!
5) The Cash-Out Decision Worth $283,000
Cashing out is usually a controversial topic among sports bettors. In this case, it proved to be a very smart decision…
American bettor Daniel Forte had a $26 parlay that was one result away from winning $557,000.
The final leg required France to beat Argentina in the 2022 World Cup Final. Unsure about the outcome, Forte accepted a cash-out offer of $283,538 before the match.
Argentina eventually won the tournament, meaning the original bet would have lost. Instead, he walked away with life-changing money.
6) Harry Wilson’s Grandfather’s 2,500/1 Bet
In 2000, Welsh electrician Peter Edwards walked into a bookmaker and placed a £50 bet on his young grandson playing international football for Wales.
His grandson was just a toddler at the time. The bookmaker offered odds of 2,500/1.
Years later, that grandson became professional footballer Harry Wilson. When Wilson made his Wales debut aged just 16, the bet landed and Edwards collected £125,000.
It remains one of the most famous long-term football bets ever placed.
7) The 25p Accumulator That Returned £205,000
In 2016, a bettor from Coventry placed a 25p accumulator covering 11 World Cup qualifying matches.
The selections included both match results and goals markets, producing combined odds of more than 820,000/1.
The final hurdle was Armenia beating Montenegro.
At one stage Armenia were 2-0 down and the bet appeared finished. However, they mounted a dramatic comeback and scored a 93rd-minute winner.
The bettor turned a 25p stake into £205,000 – thank god they were from a legal country Bet365 operated in.
8) The French Weather Girl Promise
Not every famous World Cup bet involved a bookmaker.
French weather presenter Doris Tillier became convinced that France would fail to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.
So convinced, in fact, that she promised to present a weather forecast without clothes if they qualified.
France turned things around and secured qualification.
Tillier honoured the bet, creating a viral moment that made headlines around the world.
9) The £30,000 Top Scorer Double
One of the biggest stakes on this list came before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
A bettor from Manchester staked £30,000 on a double:
- Netherlands to win their group
- David Villa to finish as the tournament’s top scorer
The Netherlands did their part, leaving Villa to complete the bet.
Going into the final, Villa was tied on goals with several players, including Wesley Sneijder. If Sneijder outscored him in the final, the bet would lose.
The final whistle eventually confirmed Villa as top scorer and secured a payout of £424,000.
10) The 1966 Bet That Created Betfred
The final story takes us back to England’s only World Cup triumph.
In 1966, Fred Done placed his week’s wages — £25 — on England winning the World Cup at odds of 8/1.
The bet returned £200.
While that may not sound huge by today’s standards, it proved life-changing.
Done later used the money as part of his journey into the betting industry, eventually building one of Britain’s biggest bookmaker brands, Betfred.
In a strange way, England winning the World Cup helped create one of the UK’s most recognisable betting companies.
The Punchline…
The World Cup consistently produces unforgettable moments, and occasionally those moments lead to extraordinary betting wins.
Whether it’s a 250,000/1 accumulator, a prediction involving Luis Suarez, or a family bet that takes more than a decade to settle, these stories show just how unpredictable football can be.
Of course, for every incredible win, there are millions of losing bets. That’s why successful betting is usually built on discipline, value and sensible staking rather than chasing miracle accumulators.
Related: 10 Biggest Football Accumulator Wins Ever (£500k+ From Pennies)