Sign-ups, deposits and wagers have more than doubled during the tournament, according to the crypo betting brand; Cloudbet suggests this is a positive given the recent fiasco involving the collapse of a high-profile crypto FTX exchange.

Interestingly, Argentina to win the World Cup is Cloudbet's most popular bet.

Yesterday, Gaming America analysed the likely upturn in Latin American sports betting, given the fact both Brazil and Argentina have qualified for the last eight of the tournament.

In the UK, meanwhile, England's upcoming quarter-final clash with France is sure to set sports wagering pulses racing.

For crypto bettors, however, Lionel Messi is the man.

A Cloudbet spokesperson said: “With sentiment around cryptocurrencies so low after FTX imploded, we weren’t sure what to expect this year.

"But new Cloudbet accounts are being opened at a record pace, first-time deposits are up nearly double and we’re seeing incredible enthusiasm among bettors

“The World Cup appears to have brought crypto traders and holders out of their funk and back into the arena.”

Regarding the tournament's popularity as a whole, the operator is particularly surprised expectations have been exceeded this winter.

Cloudbet's spokesperson added: “We thought we might be looking at a one-two punch of low fan enthusiasm and crypto trader fear mentality. It turns out, when it comes to the World Cup, even crypto winter can’t stop the party.”

Recently, affiliate BTCGOSU analysed both the pros and cons of crypto betting exclusively for Gambling Insider.