As the World Cup approached, soccer fever gripped the entire world, even the US, which had previously been considered a "soccer desert."
Soccer had been a rarity in America, but now it was sometimes possible to see people playing, especially since the US national team had also qualified for the tournament.
However, this was just a small spark, and it never ignited into a big fire. Over the past twenty years, soccer hadn't become a major sport in the US but had turned into a place where stars ended their careers.
Although calling it a "retirement home" wasn't entirely accurate, as many players, even at the twilight of their careers, continued to demonstrate high-level performance in the MLS.
It wasn't until 2023, when the golden old man arrived, that the league's level of play reached new heights.
Although the American public wasn't particularly interested in soccer, the bookmakers had already opened up bets.
This year, the tournament featured 32 teams, including traditional giants like Argentina, France, and Italy.
France, the reigning World Cup champion and Euro 2000 winner, was clearly aiming to defend their title.
There were also relatively weak teams like Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Senegal, China, and Nigeria.
The odds for strong teams to win were low. For example, France had 5:1 odds, and Italy had 6:1 odds.
Meanwhile, the odds for weaker teams to win were astronomical. For example, the odds for the US to win were 166:1, for Tunisia 300:1, and for Saudi Arabia and China 500:1.
This meant that if you bet on China and they actually won, the bet would multiply 500 times: 1 million would turn into 500 million.
Where else could you make such money?
But there was one downside to this method—the wait for results took an entire month.
And if the bookmakers noticed suspicious bets, they could intervene, and nothing would come of it.
That's why Eric sent his friends to different countries to minimize the risks.
On May 31st, the opening day of the World Cup, the first match on the schedule was France versus Senegal.
Eric stared at the blue screen of his computer. The primitive web design annoyed him, as he was used to modern websites. Now he was using an old desktop computer. Although laptops existed, their power left much to be desired.
"When I get the money, I might invest in internet companies. Buy a few stocks that are guaranteed to make a profit."
Although the internet wasn't fully developed, online gambling already existed, but it had many flaws and was unsafe.
Many sites were fraudulent and contained viruses. People didn't have enough protection, and many fell for these tricks.
So, Eric preferred to place bets via phone calls; this method seemed more reliable to him.
Making sure the match schedule hadn't changed, Eric relaxed and opened MSN—the most popular messenger of the time.
Even in China in 2002, MSN was widely used, and QQ hadn't yet gained popularity.
Eric quickly typed a message: "Today in the opening match, bet the maximum on Senegal with all the bookmakers."
If you're going to play, play big. High risks—big wins.
If the bet wins, it means the world hasn't changed. If not, it means the future has already changed.
In that case, Eric would have to follow his father's plans and become an actor, which wasn't bad either.
Warren sent a scared emoji: "Senegal? Are you crazy? It's an African team, and they're in the World Cup for the first time."
Billy: "The entire Senegal team is worth less than one leg of a French player. Bro, this is 10 million dollars, don't rush!"
Eric: "Trust me. The odds of France winning are 1:1. The odds of Senegal winning are 1:19. Don't forget the famous saying: 'Bet against logic, and you'll buy a villa by the sea.'"
Bordeaux: "Is this your moneymaking strategy?"
Judy: "Haha, Brazilian girls are so hot. I've already placed my bet; see you in two hours."
In the evening, waiting for the match to start, Eric couldn't find peace. He sat on the couch with a bottle of beer.
His father, a rare visitor at home, approached and firmly squeezed his shoulder: "Son, you're so tense. What's going on?"
"Nothing, the World Cup is about to start. I want to watch."
"Really? You didn't care about soccer before. You liked hockey and dancing more."
"Dad, university changes people and opens new interests."
"You're right. I've noticed you've been home a lot lately. Found a way to make money?"
Eric glanced at him: "Don't worry, Dad. If something goes wrong, I'll follow your plans: take acting courses, learn the basics, and all that."
Charlie Cooper laughed: "Don't worry, Eric. Once you get into it, you'll like it. It's much more interesting than finance."
Charlie couldn't imagine that his son had decided to make money from betting. After all, Eric, as a finance guy, should understand all the risks.
He was ready for any turn of events, even the poor results of the film "Whispers with the Wind" couldn't spoil his mood.
On the screen, the match between France and Senegal started. Millions of people were watching. The French team, full of stars, received a warm welcome.
Henry was the top scorer in the English Premier League, Trezeguet in the Italian Serie A, Cisse in the French Ligue 1. Moreover, they had the national hero Zidane. France was considered the favorite, and a win over Senegal seemed like an easy task.
But everyone noticed that Zidane didn't take the field, nor did Pires. The French team lost its power in the midfield.
Although they dominated, often attacked, their shots were either blocked or hit the post.
MSN was flashing with messages.
Warren: "Oh my God! Damn it! Those damned French are screwing up again! Who's that bald guy?"
Bordeaux: "Move faster to defense! Are those black guys dumb? Why don't they fall back?"
Billy: "Damn it! Senegal, go! Crush those French colonizers, remember history! Beat them!"
Judy also joined the chat: "Damn! That guy with the braids is shooting again! Thank God it hit the post!"
Bordeaux: "Is that goalkeeper blind? The post is more useful than him. Can he even move?"
All four were at the peak of emotions: sometimes thanking, sometimes cursing. It seemed they were ready to get on the field themselves, although they didn't know the rules or the players.
Eric remained silent because he was too excited.
On the screen, Dugarry made a mistake with a pass, and Diouf from Senegal quickly intercepted the ball and rushed towards the goal.
The French defense couldn't stop him. Diouf passed the ball to Diop, who scored. Senegal took the lead!
Eric made 200 million dollars!