As Argentina prepared to open the World Cup against Algeria at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday night, the world's attention turned not just to the match itself but to the cultural phenomenon surrounding Lionel Messi's expected 200th cap and the communal traditions that bind fans across borders. Coach Lionel Scaloni captured the moment's significance: "Not only the Argentinian population but everybody — the whole planet — wants to see him play."
The anticipation surrounding Messi's milestone reflects how soccer transcends national boundaries and creates shared experiences among diverse communities. Scaloni emphasized the player's universal appeal, saying, "Everybody wants to see him on the pitch, because he has an effect not only on Argentina fans but supporters all over the world." Despite dealing with a minor hamstring issue in the lead-up to the World Cup, Messi appeared comfortable during the limited training sessions reporters witnessed. In last week's final tuneup against Iceland at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium, he entered as a second-half substitute, scored moments later on a penalty kick, and played 20 minutes without problems.
A Player Essential to the Team
Scaloni offered unqualified praise for his star player: "There's nothing negative to say. He's always been there, and he's essential for us. He's going to remain that way." Messi had not spoken publicly since the national team congregated for the World Cup about two weeks ago, maintaining his focus on preparation.
Yerba Mate: The Beverage That Binds
Beyond the athletic spectacle, fans were bringing yerba mate to World Cup matches alongside flags, jerseys and songs, sharing cups and straws to drink the caffeinated beverage that is ubiquitous in some South American countries. When reigning World Cup winners Argentina arrived at their hotel in Kansas City, fans were outside pouring and sharing yerba mate in gourd cups with metal bombillas, the straw that acts as a filter for the steeped leaves.
At Cafe Corazon, one of the biggest importers of yerba mate in the Midwest, a line of fans wearing sky blue-and-white striped jerseys was nearly out the door on Monday, the day before Argentina played its first match of the World Cup. Dulcinea Herrera, one of the co-owners of Cafe Corazon, described the surge in interest: "Our mate has been flying off the shelves. So a lot of people have been coming in to try it. People who aren't Argentinian want to just have that experience. And we have a lot of Argentinians coming in saying, 'Oh, this reminds me of home.'"
Cultural Roots and Global Spread
The beverage has spread alongside the multicultural appeal of soccer, including in the United States, where it has become a drink of choice for star athletes on and off the pitch. Among the World Cup's most famous stars who drink it are Uruguay's Luis Suarez and Argentina's Lionel Messi. Messi posted a photo of himself holding a mate cup in one hand and the World Cup trophy in the other after his team won four years ago.
The drink dates back to Indigenous people and the gauchos, South American cowboys, and is sipped around the world with other nations and cultures adding different spins or flavors, said Christine Folch, a cultural anthropologist at Duke University and author of "The Book of Yerba Mate." Folch explained that people in Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil prefer their mate in different types of vessels and prepared in different ways, which can be a cultural identifier when fans meet up at a friendly match. She said she has a large collection of mate cups, including ones made of cow hooves and horns, alongside hand-stitched, leather-wrapped metal cups and gourds.
A Tradition of Sharing
Folch noted that mate became popular in Syria and Lebanon more than 100 years ago, which is why one of the main places to get the traditional dried leaves in the United States is at Middle Eastern grocery stores. In the United States, it is often sold in refrigerated cans, marketed to an American audience as a natural energy drink and mixed with fruit flavors. Some Cuban Americans drink a version of mate that is sweetened and carbonated. In Berlin, Club Mate is a popular carbonated drink that often gets mixed with alcohol.
Traditionally, the leaves of the trees are smoked during preparation, so the mate can have a smoky overtone as well as a strong grassy, earthy flavor that people say makes them feel less jittery than coffee. Folch said it is pronounced like MAH-teh, not like a soccer teammate.
Folch emphasized the social dimension of the beverage: "Mate is made for social settings because traditionally people share the same cup or bring enough to share. When somebody offers you mate and you accept, what you have done is you have stepped into a relationship. So it's a way of bonding with people."
Sebastian Cufre and his father Rene, who was born in Argentina, drove to Kansas City from Albuquerque trying to score last-minute tickets to the match. They met other Argentina fans at Cafe Corazon and shared a cup of mate around their tables. Rene Cufre said, "It's like something that you pass around during the games." He said he had tried the canned American version but was not a fan. "Honestly, I don't even consider that to be mate," he said. "That's like a completely different class of beverage."
Fernando Villagran, originally from Salta, Argentina, who traveled from California to cheer on Argentina's team, captured the essence of the tradition: "It's not only a drink, but a social thing. It is about friendship."
Why This Matters:
The convergence of Messi's 200th cap and the yerba mate tradition at the World Cup highlights how global sporting events create spaces for cultural exchange and community building across diverse populations. The shared ritual of drinking mate—rooted in Indigenous traditions and passed down through generations—demonstrates how immigrant communities maintain connections to their heritage while welcoming others into their cultural practices. As fans from different backgrounds gather to celebrate soccer, these communal traditions foster the kind of cross-cultural understanding and human connection that strengthen social bonds in increasingly diverse societies. The phenomenon also underscores how working-class and immigrant communities use cultural practices to create belonging and solidarity in host countries, enriching the social fabric through traditions that emphasize sharing and collective experience over individual consumption.