What is mate tea, where does it come from and how did the England players start drinking it?
A number of Gareth Southgate's players could be consuming the herbal tea to give them an extra boost at the World Cup
ENGLAND'S secret weapon at the World Cup could be mate tea.
A number of stars heading to Russia have started to consume the caffeine-rich concoction, which is a favourite in South America.
The herbal tea is a huge hit with the some of the footballs biggest stars, including Lionel Messi, Neymar and even Diego Maradona.
What is mate tea?
Mate is a herb-infused, caffeine-rich drink that is made with ground up leaves from a plant called 'yerba mate'.
The leaves are dried, chopped, ground, steeped in hot water and then filtered out.
It is prepared in a gourd and drunk through a metal straw, called a 'bombilla'.
This kind of drink has more caffeine than an everyday cup of tea, which will give the footballers an energy boost.
How did the England players start drinking it?
England stars Eric Dier, Harry Kane and Dele Alli were introduced to it by Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Dier said: "We have Argentinians at the club, so I started drinking it with them."
Rose added: "The Spurs boys drink quite a lot o fit and the gaffer - he loves it.
"Eric and I spend our afternoons playing Uno and drinking tea - it's a good way of spending an hour or two, just gossiping."
Where does it come from?
It was first consumed by the indigenous Guarani and was used by the Tupi for medicinal purposes.
Brazil is the largest producer with 53 per cent, followed by Argentina with 37 per cent and Paraguay with 10 per cent.
Uruguay is the largest consumer in the world.
It has become a craze in the Premier League following the influx of South American players.
Dream Team World Cup - Sign up to win £100k
- Enter for FREE
- £50m budget and 20 transfers throughout the tournament
- Play to win £100k top price and a share of £175k prizepot