Super Bowl 2024 will be the ultimate test for the ‘Drake Curse’

Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will be the ultimate litmus test for the so-called “Drake Curse.”

You haven’t heard of it? Let us explain.

Canadian rapper Drake is an avid sports fan, and oftentimes has either been photographed with athletes or bet on their success. However, there are numerous examples of his support being a net negative for those he is rooting for.

90min.com once described the curse’s origins as follows:

One of the earliest examples came in March 2019, when Paul Pogba was snapped alongside the musician. Only four days later, Manchester United were knocked out of the FA Cup by Wolves.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Layvin Kurzawa posed alongside Drake before his side was thrashed 5-1 by Lille, the club’s heaviest league defeat in 19 years. The curse isn’t limited to football, either - UFC fighter Conor McGregor lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov after being seen with Drake.

Drake himself is a massive Toronto Raptors fan. In 2013, he was made their global ambassador but they soon gained a reputation for choking in big games.

You get the idea: Drake has proven himself an anti-talisman of sorts through the years. Several athletes and teams beyond those mentioned in that excerpt — such as Johnny Manziel, Jadon Sancho, Serena Williams, Sean Strickland, or the Alabama Crimson Tide football team — have been bitten by the Curse carrying his name.

And it appears to have set its sights on the next victim: the Kansas City Chiefs.

According to Pop Base, Drake recently bet $1.15 million worth of cryptocurrency on the Chiefs beating the 49ers in the Super Bowl. “I can’t bet against the Swifties” — a reference to Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce’s superstar girlfriend — was his explanation given in an Instagram post.

If the Curse stays true, the 49ers will come away victoriously on Sunday (thus getting revenge for losing to the Chiefs four years ago).

However, it has its work cut out for it. Kansas City does not only enjoy the support of the Swifties but having one of the best teams in the NFL — one led by one of the top quarterback-head coach duos in league history.

Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid have led the Chiefs to two titles in already since the 2019 season, and are now on the verge of another to establish the Chiefs as the next NFL dynasty. While their record on the game’s biggest stage is not impeccable, thanks to a 31-9 blowout loss to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in February 2021, they have since shown that they are the No. 1 force to be reckoned with in pro football right now.

Will they be able to withstand the dark magic that is the Drake Curse, though? We are about to find out.