France's World Cup run puts $1 million payday on the line for one high-roller bettor

A single bettor is tracking France’s every move at this World Cup with $1 million on the line, after placing $250,000 on Les Bleus to win the tournament at +400 odds with DraftKings before the competition kicked off on 11 June.

With France now among the final four teams — alongside Spain, England and Argentina — that wager is very much alive. A France victory would return $1.25 million in total payout, representing $1 million in profit. France currently sits as the +150 favourite among the semifinalists.

It is familiar ground for the French. They beat Croatia 4-2 in the 2018 World Cup final and came agonisingly close in 2022, drawing 3-3 with Argentina before losing on penalties. Kylian Mbappé and his teammates now face Spain in the first semifinal, where they are listed as modest favourites, before a potential final against either England or Argentina.

The high-stakes France ticket is not the only notable wager still in play. Hard Rock Bet accepted a $2,700 two-leg parlay in mid-April combining the New York Knicks at +1600 to win the NBA Finals and France at +500 to win the World Cup — combined parlay odds of +11000. The Knicks duly won the NBA title, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games, leaving the bettor needing only two France wins to collect $297,000 in profit from a $2,700 stake.

Elsewhere, a BetMGM customer placed $50,000 on England at +700 to win the World Cup, while another BetMGM bettor staked $35,000 on Argentina at +800. Both tickets remain alive heading into the semifinals, meaning at least one of those large wagers will ultimately settle as a loser.

Countless futures bets have already been settled as losing tickets, with bookmakers reporting a particularly profitable outcome after the United States were eliminated. The four remaining nations — France, Spain, England and Argentina — will now determine which bettors cash in and which walk away empty-handed.