Manchester City striker Erling Haaland surprised his followers by posting a photo to social media enjoying a mate, describing the traditional infusion as an encantadora bebida and thanking three Argentina national team players who introduced him to the habit: Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández and Gerónimo Rulli. Haaland wrote, Gracias Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández y Gerónimo Rulli por presentarme esta encantadora bebida alongside the photograph.

The post quickly generated widespread attention across international soccer, with the Embajada de Noruega en la Argentina responding from its official X account with a welcome message: ¡Bienvenido al mate, @ErlingHaaland! Es un viaje de ida. Enzo Fernández also replied to the post with a relaxed phrase: Protocolo my friend. Additionally, The New York Times through its sports section The Athletic published a guide examining how mate expanded from South America to global soccer stars.

Origins in Manchester and International Precedents

Haaland’s relationship with mate originated during his time sharing a dressing room with Julián Álvarez at Manchester City, where the Argentine forward introduced him to the infusion and how to incorporate it into his routine. The habit has similarly reached other international football figures through South American teammates, including Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba, and Eric Dier. Antoine Griezmann adopted the custom through his links with Argentine and Uruguayan footballers, reaching the point of stepping off the French national team bus with his thermos under his arm during the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Paul Pogba took up the habit at Manchester United thanks to his friendship with Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero, while English midfielder Eric Dier adopted it after sharing a dressing room with Erik Lamela. During international competitions such as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2024 Copa América held in the United States, images of South American stars with their mates multiplied. The 2022 national team mascot in Qatar was Botija, a human-sized thermos, and the creation of a mate emoji in 2019 sparked celebrations. During the 2024 Copa América, Uruguayan players noted for their consumption included Luis Suárez, Ronald Araujo, Nicolás de la Cruz, Agustín Canobbio, and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Nutritional Benefits and Global Diffusion

According to the specialist cited in media reports, the infusion contains caffeine, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Los jugadores que toman mate tienden a estar mejor hidratados porque beben más líquidos, and the caffeine has demonstrated benefits for improving sports performance by increasing endurance, energy, and mental concentration. The antioxidants also help strengthen the immune system by fighting free radicals.