Nollywood actress Destiny Etiko has disclosed that she lost N5 million after staking a bet on the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, saying the experience has convinced her to stay away from gambling.
Etiko made the revelation in a post shared on her Instagram page on Monday, hours after Spain defeated defending champions Argentina to lift the World Cup trophy.
Reflecting on the loss, the actress wrote: “First time betting and I lost. Will never try it again. My 5M gone. In fact, I am done watching football. Anxiety almost killed me.”
She did not reveal the type of bet she placed or provide further details about how she lost the money.
Before the final, Etiko had openly declared her support for Argentina through a series of Instagram Story posts, expressing confidence that the South American side would retain the title.
“Argentina all the way. Who can’t wait?” she wrote ahead of kick-off.
As the match wore on, however, her optimism gave way to frustration as Argentina struggled to break down Spain’s defence.
“This ball tough o. Argentina is pissing me off,” she posted during the game.
Despite her disappointment, the actress praised Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for his performance, describing him as the player who kept his side in the contest.
“The goalkeeper is the savior oo,” she wrote.
Spain went on to claim a 1-0 victory after extra time, with substitute Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal to secure the country’s second FIFA World Cup title, 16 years after its maiden triumph in South Africa in 2010. Argentina finished the encounter with 10 men following Enzo Fernández’s late dismissal after receiving a second yellow card.
