World Cup: Nollywood Actress Loses ₦5m Betting On Argentina

Nollywood actress Destiny Etiko has revealed that she lost ₦5 million after placing her first-ever football bet on the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.

Following Argentina’s 1-0 defeat, the actress took to her Instagram page to express her disappointment, describing the experience as extremely stressful and vowing not to place another bet.

The actress, popular for her roles in Nigerian movies, said the wager was her first attempt at sports betting and that it ended up being a costly lesson.

“First time betting and I lost. Will never try it again. My 5M gone. In fact, I’m done watching football. Anxiety almost killed me,” she wrote.

Although Etiko did not disclose the specific bet she placed, her posts during the match indicated that she was backing defending champions Argentina to overcome Spain.

Before the game began, she showed confidence in the South American side, writing: “Argentina all the way. Who can’t wait?”

However, as the match progressed, her excitement turned into frustration.

She later complained, “This ball tough o. Argentina is pissing me off,” while also praising goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for keeping Argentina in the contest, saying, “The goalkeeper is the saviour oo.”

Spain eventually secured victory in a tense final after Ferran Torres scored in extra time, breaking Argentina’s resistance.

The European champions had created several clear chances throughout the match, while Argentina struggled after being reduced to 10 players following Enzo Fernández’s red card before extra time.

Torres became Spain’s match-winner in the 106th minute, finishing from close range after connecting with Nico Williams’ header to beat Martínez and seal the historic triumph.