E-Paper
How Spain beating Lionel Messi's Argentina in FIFA World Cup final led to a $1.65 million windfall for Mia Khalifa
Former porn star Mia Khalifa attended the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, and boasted how it made her richer by $1.65 million.
On Sunday at the MetLife Stadium in New York, Spain defeated defending champions Argentina to lift their second FIFA World Cup crown. The win not only earned the title of the world champions but also made the squad richer by $51 million, the prize money for the champions in this edition of the World Cup. But even as Rodri & Co became millionaires after their successful campaign, their triumph led to a non-footballing celebrity also taking home millions. Former adult star Mia Khalifa boasted on social media how her bet on Spain’s win made her richer by $1.65 million.
The World Cup final on the pitch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final was an eventful affair, even if agonisingly one-sided. Argentina, led by a resurgent Lionel Messi, took the field in a bid to defend their world title against a clinical Spain team that had let in only one goal throughout the tournament. But Messi magic did not work as Argentina failed to fire a shot at the goal during the game. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s 11 saves kept the South American side in the hunt till the dying stages of the game. But Spain’s relentless pressure prevailed in the form of a goal by Ferran Torres with just minutes left in extra time. Spain won in the end, winning their second world title and first in 16 years.
Mia Khalifa at the FIFA World Cup final
On Sunday, Mia took to social media to share a carousel post showing herself at the final, wearing a Lamine Yamal jersey and cheering for Spain. “Believed and won big🥹 so proud of my home country Spain(not a drop of Spanish blood in me),” she wrote in the caption, tongue in cheek. The pictures show the reason behind her joy. The second photo in the carousel shows the former actor betting $1 million on Spain lifting the trophy at odds of 1.65. As Spain prevailed over Argentina, Mia’s winnings were $1.65 million.
In other pictures, she could be seen entering MetLife Stadium before the match and later cheering for Spain from the stands. The 33-year-old shared several other snippets from her Sunday in the post.
Celebs galore at the World Cup final
She may have raked in the moolah, but Mia Khalifa was far from the biggest celebrity at the stadium on Sunday. The match was also attended by Matt Damon, basking in the success of his new film, The Odyssey. The actor accompanied his wife, Luciana Barroso Damon, an Argentinian citizen. Actor Javier Bardem, on the other hand, arrived in a Spain jersey to support his home country. The halftime show, the first-ever at a FIFA World Cup final, saw performances from several global superstars. Madonna commanded the stage with a striking opening performance, creating a dramatic kickoff to the halftime festivities before K-pop superstars BTS kept the momentum going with an electrifying performance of their worldwide hit Dynamite. Justin Bieber then delivered an emotional performance of Everything Hallelujah, before World Cup regular Shakira ignited the stadium with a high-energy rendition of Dai Dai, the official song of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
