Argentina's World Cup team brought 1,100 pounds of an herbal drink loved by Messi to Qatar

• If Messi leads Argentina to the World Cup it will be a long-awaited win for the soccer icon.
• It could also be a win for yerba mate, an herbal drink beloved by "nearly everyone" on Argentina's team.

Attack wins games, defense wins championships, and mate — an herbal drink beloved by the Argentina national soccer team — may well help win the World Cup.

Argentina has been slaying at the marquee quadrennial soccer tournament, with Messi alone contributing five goals and three assists from six appearances to date in Qatar.

Though it suffered a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in its opening game last month, the team has since rebounded with wins over Mexico, Poland, Australia, Netherlands, and Croatia.

On December 18, Argentina will compete against the winner of France and Morocco's semifinal for the right to hold the World Cup trophy aloft and reign as champions until 2026, at least.

One of the secrets to its success could be how the team hydrates itself.

The New York Times reports, for instance, that Argentina's squad loves the drink, mate, so much it brought 1,100 pounds of it with them to the Middle East.

Mate, popular throughout parts of South America, is a caffeine-rich beverage made from the dried leaves of yerba mate. It can be drunk hot or cold, as tea, or even as a soft drink.

Brazil's team brought 26 pounds of the drink to Qatar, while Uruguay's team brought 530. Not to be outdone, though, Argentina traveled with more than double what Uruguay had.

The New York Times said, "nearly everyone" in the Argentina team drinks it, including Messi. They drank it after games, and even on the team bus. It is a ritual.

'It's like water for us'

Argentina midfielder Alexis MacAllister, who is a part of the country's World Cup squad but is yet to feature in the tournament, told The Times: "I drink it more than anything to bring us together."

The 26-year-old Argentina attacker Sebastian Driussi, who represented his country at youth level and currently plays club level soccer at Austin FC in the MLS, said nutritionists in his country claim it "hydrates you."

Driussi told The Times: "It's like water for us. Before a game, in the locker room, everyone is drinking it all the time.

"Us in Argentina, we say that mate makes friendships."

Should Messi lead Argentina to a tournament victory over the France or Morocco Sunday, it would be a long-awaited victory for a player who has won pretty much everything except the World Cup.

The taste of ultimate victory would be sweet for Messi, even if it turns out to also be quite bitter.

Correction: December 14, 2022 — An earlier version of this story included a photograph of Croatian players drinking at a World Cup match. It has been replaced by one showing Argentina players.