An incredible, almost unbelievable win, one of those that any person who plays betting can only dream of: 1 million and 200 thousand euros won with a bet of just 5 euros. An English fan managed to win this staggering amount after predicting that 12 matches would end with more than 11 corners. He placed a bet on “over 11.5” corners for each of the 12 matches. A choice that could change his life. His plans for the future include paying off his home loan, buying a car and booking a week's holiday with his family.
The winner is a 45-year-old Englishman, resident of Portsmouth and a fan of Aston Villa. The weekend had started quite well for him, as the team managed by Unai Emery had defeated Manchester City with a score of 2-1 on Saturday at noon, causing the leaders to drop their first points after seven wins in the first seven games. But the surprises for the fan did not end there. He managed to win a combined bet on 12 matches, for which the company Betfair offered a quota of 249,347 times the stake.
The 5 euro bet that changed his life
Apparently, the Englishman thought he was only risking a small amount, as he placed 4 pounds to win 997,385 pounds. According to the exchange rate, the amount played was about 4.77 euros, while the profit amounted to approximately 1 million and 190 thousand euros. He selected 12 matches, two from the Championship and ten from League One, respectively the second and third categories of English football. His prediction was that at least 12 corner kicks would be executed in each match.
The break between the halves of Saturday's matches may have been a moment of anxiety for him. In the Cambridge-Plymouth challenge, only four corners were taken in the first half. The situation was even more difficult in the Reading-Barnsley match, where only one corner was recorded during the first 45 minutes. In this challenge, 11 more were needed in the second half to win the bet. However, in all 12 matches, his prediction came true. The corners increased and the Englishman secured a victory that made him a millionaire.
£4 ⏩ £997,385.09. No, that's not a typo. A Betfair customer has won close to £1million. 12-game acca. Over 11.5 corners in EVERY one: ✅ Oxford Utd v Bradford ✅ Reading v Barnsley ✅ Stevenage v MK Dons ✅ Doncaster v Sheff Wed ✅ Cambridge Utd v Plymouth ✅ AFC Wimbledon v Wycombe ✅ Notts Co v Stockport ✅ Burton Albion v Leyton Orient ✅ Bromley v Peterborough ✅ Preston v West Brom ✅ QPR v Swansea ✅ Blackpool v Mansfield
— Banker Odds | TKO Analysis (@alliedtipsters) October 25, 2026
"I had to ask my wife if the amount in the account was real"
"At first I felt a little bad, as I was trying to make sure that everything was real. Then I realized what had happened. My wife was not there when I checked the account, so I had to wait for her to come back to confirm the amount. I kept asking her: 'Is it correct, or not?'. It didn't seem real to me and it's hard to describe in words. I didn't sleep much last night, because I was thinking about what we could do with this money. It's a fantastic, wonderful feeling!", said the winner.
The fan usually plays pool bets with friends, but this time he decided to try it alone. “My friends and I usually do a pool bet at the weekend, just to have a bit of fun. We each pick an event and write it down in our group. We usually predict both teams to score, but I like to play on corners. I had four pounds in my account, so I decided to make a bet just for myself, on a few corners. I’m sure I’ll get my friends something,” he said.
The winner also revealed that he didn't realise he had won straight away. "I didn't realise I had won until about half an hour after all the games had finished. I'm an Aston Villa fan and I went out with my son to watch the game which started early, which made the day start in the best possible way! Then we walked home and got completely soaked in the rain. When I checked the score I couldn't believe my eyes."
Betfair has already paid out the winnings. For a major betting company, such a story is also incredible publicity. "We are incredibly happy for this Portsmouth bettor and couldn't be more pleased to have paid him such a large sum of money," the company said.
