Someone put approximately $1 million on Polymarket betting that Spain would beat Cabo Verde in their World Cup opener. Spain took 27 shots. Cabo Verde took six. The match ended 0-0.
That million dollars is gone. Meanwhile, a trader on the other side of that bet, who staked roughly $400K against Spain winning, walked away with over $4.7 million. The beautiful game, indeed.
The match that broke the model
On paper, this was supposed to be a formality. Spain faced Cabo Verde, a small island nation making its first-ever World Cup appearance, in a Group H match at Atlanta Stadium on June 15.
The goalkeeper, Vozinha, celebrating his 40th birthday and 12 days, became the oldest player to debut in a World Cup match for Cabo Verde. He made seven saves, earned player-of-the-match honors, and essentially turned himself into a human wall for 90 minutes. Spain peppered his goal with 27 shots to Cabo Verde’s six, and none of them found the net.
