Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025

World Cup punter who bet £10 on Lionel Messi's Argentina denied £15,000 winnings

World Cup punter who bet £10 on Lionel Messi's Argentina denied £15,000 winnings

A disappointed punter who thought he had scooped £15,000 betting on Lionel Messi’s Argentina to lift the World Cup has been turned down by one of Britain’s biggest bookmakers.

Liam Manifold staked £10 on a series of bets for the recent tournament in Qatar and was already planning how to spend his jackpot winnings, only to be rebuffed by Coral.

Thirty-year-old Mr Manifold, from Tutbury in Staffordshire, says he was given odds of 1,495-1 on November 11 after tipping Argentina to lift the trophy, eventual runners-up France to make the final and Messi to be named player of the tournament – all of which proved true.

Messi’s men triumphed on penalties following the December 18 showdown in Lusail Stadium ended 3-3 after extra-time with France’s Kylian Mbappe becoming only the second man after England’s 1966 hero Sir Geoff Hurst to score a World Cup final hat-trick.

Maintenance engineer Mr Manifold rushed back to his local betting shop, in Horninglow, the day after the final expecting to receive a total £15,000 in winnings, but was turned away.

He says the firm later handed over just £660 instead, with Coral insisting they made a ‘very fair and generous offer for the settlement of the bet’.


Liam Manifold with his partner Lauren

Mr Manifold had wanted to buy his disabled father a new mobility scooter with the money – and said the company should pay up in full as his treble bet had originally been accepted without any issue being raised.

He said: ‘I went to cash in the bet and they said it shouldn’t have been placed and offered me £660 for it.

‘I’ve gone through their complaints system, there’s no leeway. I’ve gone to an independent complaints committee and I’m waiting to hear back from them.

‘I’ve since had different companies contact me saying if that was their company, they’d pay out. When I placed the bet the guy behind the counter said it was absolutely fine. They’re now saying it’s a related bet.

‘It’s now two weeks after the final and I don’t seem to be getting anywhere. If there’s an error, it’s their fault for accepting the bet. It’s very frustrating.

Liam’s betting slip from his local Coral branch


‘Just under £15,000 for a big betting company is pennies for them but, for me, it’s a life-changing amount of money. My dad’s disabled so I was going to buy him a new disability scooter and keep the rest in savings.’

But a Coral spokesman said: ‘These three events are all closely related to each other so the prices that were offered on them individually can’t be included in a multiple bet.

‘If Argentina and France have made the final, then the odds of Argentina winning it are clearly much shorter than they were at the outset. If Argentina have then won the World Cup, the chances of Messi being player of the tournament will be long odds-on.

‘So we have settled the bet in the fairest way possible, paying out on the event with the biggest price, an Argentina v France final, at 22-1.

Liam was disappointed to be offered £660 after expecting £15,000


‘And then on the basis that that had happened, we applied the price of Argentina winning the final which was 10-11 before the game, and then on the basis that Argentina had won the cup, we applied an over generous price on Messi to be player of the tournament at 1-2, as the odds on that happening should Argentina have won the World Cup would have been much shorter.

‘The prices on the slip had been written on by the customer not the member of staff.

‘We have settled the bet in line with our terms and conditions, and we have made a very fair and generous offer for the settlement of the bet that exceeds what would have been the odds of such an eventuality had a customer asked for rush specific treble on November 11.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
×