The Popularity of Beer in Football and Its Benefits

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is fast approaching, with only a few months to go. Nevertheless, the memories of the 2018 event remain in our minds. Suppose you ask the average football fan which images they remember from the event. In that case, you’ll frequently hear answers like ‘people drinking from beer cups as their teams lost’ or ‘fans jumping with beer spilling out when their countries scored.’

Fans drinking beer to chill during sports events is also not an unfamiliar sight at events like the Bass Pro Shops Night Race for NASCAR lovers and the World Cup for football followers. At the 2018 World Cup, the consumption of beer was so serious that Russia experienced a short-lived scarcity of the commodity.

Beginnings of Beer Consumption in Football

Both the English and the Germans are credited with introducing the spirit of beer to the World Cup. The English started it when John Holding, a brewer, constructed a stadium for a football club. He then turned to a football team, which we now know as Liverpool FC, for his customers.

The second event that propagated the beer culture in football was the sponsorship of events by brewers. One of these events was the 1954 World Cup hosted by Switzerland and won by Germany. This win popularized German beer brands all over the globe.

Belgium is another country that is known for introducing beer to the game. In the 60s, Belgian teams were considered some of the best in the world, and their league sponsor was a beer brand. Over time, Belgian beer began to permeate several parts of the world.

Nevertheless, football fans today still use beer to celebrate their teams’ successes or swallow the bitter reality when their national teams end up as the second best in a match. Below, you’ll see what beer means to football’s die-hard fans.

Why Football Fans Consume Beer During Matches

• Sense of Occasion

The build-up to an important game is undoubtedly one of the most vital aspects of a football match. This way, football fans slowly get into the mood for football action. Fans watching football on TV typically visit the pub several minutes before the game starts.

People who prefer watching the game in a more homely environment link up with their pals and have a few beers. Being on the sofa and popping open the beer bottle is a way to get the sense of the occasion that a match is about to kick off. Many football fans will agree that consuming beer is a great way to boost expectation levels for a match.

• Sparking Up Memories  

The aroma remains one of the best ways to spark up memories. Even if a football fan doesn’t drink, the smell of beer from previous matches visited in stadiums or pals in the pub is likely to trigger nostalgia. This way, football fans become ready for action just by being around football lovers drinking beer.

• Heightened Emotional State

If you make a video of a person drinking beer while watching a football game, you’ll notice that the individual is in a heightened state of emotions. Football fans can find themselves yelling louder when a decision goes against them, or the moment a goal is scored. Ultimately, it is safe to say that beer adds to the overall excitement associated with a game.

• The General Alcohol Effect

Consuming alcohol during a match is certain to affect whoever is drinking it. Even though beer has a reduced alcohol content and consuming it over two hours will lessen its effect, it can still influence you.

Alcohol consumption is known for heightening the senses and kicking in adrenalin for the drinker. This way, the actions seen on your TV become more prominent, allowing you to delve into the fun experienced by football fans live at the stadium.

Conclusion

In less than three months, the 2022 World Cup will kick off. Nevertheless, fans are still flush with the memories of the 2018 World Cup, where France lifted the prestigious trophy for a second time. England, Germany, and Belgium introduced the tradition of beer consumption to football.

Beer offers a lot of benefits to football teams that involve excitement. They include sparking up a sense of occasion and memories, creating a heightened emotional state, and giving the general effect of alcohol on spectators.