The Most Outrageous Soccer Bets of All Time

BeSoccer 8 months ago |

Reading time: minutes

Soccer outcomes can be hard to predict. BeSoccer

Soccer outcomes can be hard to predict. That’s why most people tend to play it safe when betting on soccer. However, a few gamblers have defied the odds and taken huge risks that paid off. These bettors saw options that seemed highly impossible and went for it anyway, winning big when their predictions came through.

From betting on an underdog to win the league to creating a risky accumulator, here are some of the most incredible soccer bets ever made.

In Perspective: Soccer Bets vs. Casino Bets Compared

This list covers just a few stories of people who made a fortune from crazy soccer bets. While some of the wagers on this list may seem extreme, they don’t compare to the bets made in many casinos. Take the case of Ashley Revell, for example. In 2004, this ambitious man sold all his possessions, including his clothes, to raise $135,300 and bet everything on a single roulette game, doubling his money. Outrageous bets like these happen everywhere, from minimum-deposit casinos to high-roller ones. Ultimately, if you want to win it big through betting, you must be ready to take risks.

Daman Chick - £1 million

In 2016, Daman Chick took a bet that would change his life forever. The kitchen fitter from Birmingham, England, participated in BetVictor’s Million Pound Goal Competition, betting £5 on Portuguese striker Eder to score in the Euro final against France and the minute of the goal. Before the match, the striker had odds of 14,322 to 1 to score, having failed to find the net at his club in the previous year and spending most of his time on Portugal’s bench. Although Chick did not get the time of the goal right, his prediction was the closest, which won him a whopping £1 million.

Mick Gibbs - £500,000

Mick Gibbs won one of the most daring accumulators in history. A roofer from Staffordshire, England, Gibbs bet 30 pence on the outcomes of 15 soccer events between 2000 and 2001. These included outright winners of the top four English leagues and the Conference. Gibbs’s bet had odds of 1.6 million to 1. In May 2001, he needed Bayern Munich to beat Valencia in the Champions League final to win. Although the game ended in a 1-1 draw, the Germans won in a penalty shootout, earning Gibbs a payout of half a million pounds.

Anonymous - £332,625

Greece’s victory in Euro 2004 made one bettor a lot richer. He first bet £4,000 on the Greek national team to win at 50 to 1 and another £8,000 when they were at 10 to 1. He then placed a bet of £12,500 on Greece to beat Portugal on the final day. Angelos Basinas scored the only goal of the match for Greece, and the gambler went home with £332,625.

Anonymous - £272,000

In 2011, one bettor turned £2.50 into £272,000. He placed a nine-game accumulator, predicting that underdogs like Blackburn and Wolves would win their cup matches. This bold bet also included a draw between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey. At that time, Barca was at its best, with Lionel Messi and David Villa scoring goals for fun. However, the game ended 1-1 at full-time, thanks to a late equalizer from Fernando Llorente. This draw got the gambler more than a quarter of a million pounds.

Anonymous - £180,000

A Vietnamese bettor won £180,000 off a £1 bet in 2016. The restaurant worker placed a wild accumulator, predicting the outcomes of 16 games across Europe’s top leagues. Fortunately, two of the teams he picked, Watford and Eibar, scored in the last minute of their matches, allowing the gambler to win the bet valued at 180,000 to 1.

Peter Edwards - £125,000

Peter Edwards made the headlines in 2013 when he won £125,000 from a £50 bet. He had bet that his grandson Harry would one day play for the Welsh national team, with odds of 2,500 to 1. The bet paid off 13 years later when Harry debuted against Belgium at the age of 16. This moment not only made Peter a proud grandfather but also the winner of one of the largest single payouts in betting history.

Anonymous - £72,000

Some Leicester City fans celebrated wildly when the 2015 English Premier League season ended. Not only did their team win the first title in the top flight, but they also won a huge sum of money. The bookmakers didn’t fancy Leicester to win the league, giving them odds of 5,000 to 1, but a few fans took a chance anyway, including one who bet £50 and won £72,000.

Anonymous - £50,000

Many gamblers bet that Luis Suarez would bite someone during the 2014 World Cup. Before the competition, the Uruguay striker had bitten opponents on two occasions when frustrated. So, when a Norwegian bookmaker offered odds of 175 to 1 for Suarez to do so, more than 160 people took the chance. The bets won when Suarez bit Chiellini in a heated match against Italy, and the bettors received a total of around £50,000.

Adrian Hayward - £25,000

Xabi Alonso’s halfway goal in 2006 earned one lucky punter £25,000. Liverpool fan Adrian Hayward had dreamt that the midfielder would score from his own half. He then placed a £200 bet on Alonso to do the same in real life, with odds priced at 125 to 1. That dream came true a few months later when the Spaniard beat Luton’s goalkeeper from 70 yards out during an FA Cup match. This spectacular goal secured a 5-3 win for Liverpool and made the bettor a lot of money.