Fans at World Cup matches are embracing more than soccer. They are sharing cups and straws of yerba mate while supporting their national teams. This caffeinated drink, common in some South American countries, is now gaining popularity among star athletes and fans in the United States. When Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, arrived at their hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, fans gathered outside. They shared gourd cups of yerba mate with metal bombillas, the straws used to filter the steeped leaves.
At Cafe Corazon, a major yerba mate importer in the Midwest, fans dressed in Argentina’s sky blue-and-white jerseys formed a long line. “‘Our mate has been selling fast,” said Dulcinea Herrera, co-owner of Cafe Corazon. She noted that people, including those not of Argentine descent, come to experience the cultural ritual. Argentine fans visit the cafe to reminisce about their homeland.
Many renowned World Cup stars are yerba mate enthusiasts, including Uruguay’s Luis Suarez and Argentina’s Lionel Messi. Messi famously shared a photo holding a mate cup alongside the World Cup trophy after their 2022 victory, highlighting the drink’s significance in sports culture.
Mate Around the World
Yerba mate dates back to Indigenous communities and South American cowboys known as gauchos. It is now embraced worldwide with cultural variations, according to Christine Folch, a cultural anthropologist at Duke University. Each region, such as Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil, has its own preparation style, which acts as a cultural identifier among fans at international matches. Folch owns a diverse collection of mate cups crafted from cow hooves, leather-wrapped metals, and gourds.
In the early 20th century, mate spread to Syria and Lebanon. Today, Middle Eastern grocery stores in the U.S. are major sources for the dried leaves. In the U.S., yerba mate is often marketed in refrigerated cans as a natural energy drink, blended with fruit flavors. Some Cuban Americans enjoy a sweetened, carbonated version. In Berlin, Club Mate is a well-known carbonated drink often mixed with alcohol.
The traditional mate preparation involves smoking the leaves, imparting a smoky, earthy taste that regular coffee lacks. For proper pronunciation, say MAH-teh, not mate as in a teammate.
Sip, Share, and Bond
Yerba mate is meant for sharing in social environments like sporting events. Folch explains that sharing a mate cup helps forge connections. “When someone offers you mate and you accept, you have entered a relationship,” says Folch.
Sebastian Cufre and his father Rene traveled from Albuquerque to Kansas City hoping to watch Argentina play. They mingled with other Argentina fans at Cafe Corazon, sharing a mate cup at their table. Rene, who dislikes the canned version, commented, “Honestly, I don’t even consider that to be mate. That’s a different beverage class.”
Mate enthusiasts encourage North Americans to try yerba mate when offered at cafes or watch parties. “It’s not just a drink. It symbolizes friendship,” remarked Fernando Villagran, originally from Salta, Argentina, who traveled from California to support his team.