The traditional south American drink, made from the Yerba mate plant, is loaded with antioxidants, cuts body fat and has as much caffeine as coffee.
It is also believed to reduce fatigue and improve muscle contractions – which is key for sportsmen like Messi who are always seen drinking it.
Now, Beckham’s name can be added to that list. He shared a picture on Instagram sipping the drink through a bombilla – a metal straw it is usually drank with – and wrote: ‘If it’s good enough for Leo’.
But amusingly, Messi seemed not to approve of the brand Beckham was drinking.
David Beckham has started drinking mate tea – one of Lionel Messi’s favorite drinks
Messi is well known for his love of mate tea and is often seen drinking it around games
Beckham and Messi have been forging a close friendship since the star arrived in Miami
Lionel Messi aims celebratory ‘hold my beer’ gesture to David Beckham
He shared the picture of Beckham to his Instagram story and wrote: ‘I’m going to make you drink some good mate.’
Messi has been seen drinking it throughout his career, often arriving at games holding the gourd which it is drank from.
And given the health benefits, Messi could do a lot worse than introduce it to his Miami teammates as well.
The 36-year-old World Cup winner could hardly have asked for a better start on the soccer field to life in Miami.
He has scored three goals in his first two games, with Miami beating Cruz Azul 2-1 and Atlanta 4-0 in the Leagues Cup.
It came after Beckham fronted a glitzy opening ceremony to officially unveil Messi as a Miami player, with 20,000 fans attending at the team’s DRV PNK stadium.
‘Please forgive me for feeling a little bit emotional tonight. It really is a dream come true to welcome Lionel Messi to Inter Miami.
‘Leo, we are so proud you have chosen this club for the next stage of your career. Welcome to the family.
The team will play next on Wednesday, August 2 in the last-32 of the competition.
