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. Football’s biggest stars have their own pre-match rituals.Argentina's star Lionel Messi swears by the yerba mate drink.Lionel Messi: Yerba Mate FirstLucky 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.Norway's star Erling Haaland. (Photo: X)Erling Haaland: Meditation modeThis 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.England midfielder, Jude Bellingham. (Photo: Charlie Riedel/ AP)Jude Bellingham: Solo pitch walkHours 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.France's star player and Captain Kylian Mbappé. (Photo: AFP)Kylian Mbappé: Headphones onFor 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.England midfielder, Declan Rice. (Photo: Eloisa Sanchez/ REUTERS)Declan Rice: Pancake fuelThe 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.