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FIFA World Cup 2026: From Messi to Haaland, what do your favourite football stars do before kickoff?
Beyond the goals, and celebrations of FIFA World Cup 2026, football stars have their own rituals that help them get ready for the biggest moments.
Lionel Messi: Yerba Mate First
Lucky socks and tunnel rituals aren’t for everyone. For Argentina’s striker Lionel Messi, the constant is yerba mate, the traditional South American herbal tea he has consumed since childhood. “It is part of my life. I can’t imagine a morning without it,” he said in a 2015 interview with FourFourTwo. The mate gourd and bombilla are regular fixtures at training grounds, stadium tunnels and team flights. Messi is also known to favour the Uruguayan brand Canarias, drinking it from custom silver-plated gourds made by Uruguayan silversmith Rodolfo Lugo.
Erling Haaland: Meditation mode
This Norway striker’s pre-match reset is meditation. He has shared videos of himself sitting cross-legged in the middle of a river in the same pose as his trademark goal celebration. Speaking about meditation in a Manchester City interview, Haaland said, “I think it’s really good to relax and try not to think too much.”Haaland has also been seen meditating on the pitch for several minutes after matches, long after teammates have left for the dressing room.
Jude Bellingham: Solo pitch walk
Hours before kickoff, the England midfielder walks onto the pitch alone. The purpose is simple. “I like to survey the pitch and visualise the game,” he told the Daily Mail. The routine has become a regular part of his matchday preparation and has even been highlighted by pundits Glenn Hoddle and Michael Owen as a sign of his maturity.
Kylian Mbappé: Headphones on
For France’s captain, the final hour before kickoff is about blocking out distractions. Headphones on, he makes the walk from the team bus to the dressing room immersed in music, a routine that has become synonymous with his matchday preparation. While Mbappé has never publicly revealed a go-to playlist, he is regularly spotted arriving at stadiums wearing headphones, using music to settle into game mode before stepping onto the pitch.
Declan Rice: Pancake fuel
The England midfielder has swapped pre-match superstitions for a pancake ritual. Rice revealed during England’s Euro 2024 media interactions, “I have four pancakes before a game. Covered in syrup honey. I swear to God, it’s the best thing... honestly, it’s been a game-changer,” he has said. On late kickoff days, Rice has admitted he sometimes eats as many as eight pancakes, joking that the habit has “got out of hand”, but insisting it gives him the energy to “rattle around the pitch” for the full 90 minutes.
