A months-long odyssey for one savvy gambler came to a gripping conclusion with Sunday’s World Cup final between France and Argentina. In the end, his shrewd crunch time decision earned him a six-figure payday.
The bettor, whose name is Daniel Forte, placed a $26 seven-leg parlay bet with FanDuel Sportsbook, which played out over the course of 2022. Heading into the World Cup, the first six legs had already hit: Kansas men’s basketball to win the NCAA tournament, the Warriors to win the NBA Finals, the Avalanche to win the Stanley Cup, AC Milan to win Serie A, Los Angeles F.C. to win the MLS cup and Manchester City to win the Premier League.
The final piece of the puzzle? France to repeat as World Cup champions, a result which would complete the parlay and guarantee a payout of $557,770.91. After following along closely during France’s run to Sunday’s final, Forte was asked before the match whether he would take the payout option, hedge and bet on Argentina, or let it ride.
In the end, he opted to secure the bag and take a $283,538.52 payout win.
It was the right decision, as France ultimately fell in an instant classic that was decided by penalty kicks. Thankfully, Forte was not forced to watch the drama unfold with life-changing money on the line and presumably enjoyed the experience knowing that his meager $26 wager placed months ago turned into a dream come true.
“Thank God I cashed out,” Forte said during the match. “I’d be leaving on a stretcher with a heart attack right now.”
