The Qatar 2022 World Cup party has arrived and it undoubtedly promises great feats from the footballers who are excited to represent their nation. This has unleashed a soccer fever that has brought with it the necessary motivation for young and old to be encouraged to practice their favorite sport or favorite physical activity.

Maybe you've already felt motivated to start playing a sport and even improve your eating habits. That is why today we bring you these top soccer players who, concerned about the planet and their health, have decided to follow a plant-based diet that, in addition to being adequate to considerably reduce the ecological impact, also improved their sports performance.

Lionel Messi

There was much speculation about whether Messi was a vegetarian, which was denied. Messi follows a diet based on cereals, fruits, vegetables, fiber, magnesium, phosphorus and reduces his consumption of red meat to a minimum. 

This diet arose after the 2014 cup, when Leo traveled to Italy in order to eliminate toxins from his body and seek to improve his sports performance.

His nutritionist immediately reduced his meat consumption and increased his consumption of plant and vegetable-based proteins. Since then, Messi reports that he feels like an unstoppable machine.

Sergio "Kun" Aguero

Former Atlético de Madrid player, playing for Manchester City in recent years.

Kun and Messi have the same Italian nutritionist, who eliminated various foods of animal origin, thanks to which both have eliminated stomach problems, achieved better sports performance and improved recovery times from injuries or exhaustion.

They have inspired several to improve their eating habits and reduce the consumption of foods of animal origin.

Fabian Delph

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City player, having previously played for Leeds United and Aston Villa. Delph is also not 100% vegan, but he does eat a high-protein, almost entirely plant-based diet.

Fabián changed his diet after a series of consecutive injuries that put his career at risk. That is how he began to practice Tai Chi, gave up red meat and increased his consumption of plants. Thanks to this, his injuries recovered more quickly and he did not suffer such constant injuries again.

Hector Ballerin

A member of Arsenal, in 2017 he decided to try veganism to see if it could help him reach his full potential as a player. Soon after, he realized that thanks to his abandoning animal products, he noticed several improvements in his body, including the constant inflammation that he suffered in his ankles.

Finally, Héctor became more involved in the movement and now he promotes it so that we all become aware of the cruelty of the meat industry and the impact it has on the environment.

Carlos Cuellar

He became vegan at 33 years of age, thanks to this he was able to expand his career as a professional footballer, taking him to be part of numerous squads of international teams such as Numancia, Osasuna and Almería, has had a brief stint in the Scottish league at Glasgow Rangers, he has gone through the English league, playing for Aston Villa, Sunderland and Norwich City, and in recent years he has played in the Israeli league for Maccabi Petah-Tikvah, Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona, Beitar Jerusalem and Bnei Yehuda.

Russell Martin

He has gone through different FC in England, such as Milton Keynes Dons, Lewes, Wycombe Wanderers, Peterborough United, Norwich City, Rangers and Walsall.

He has been a vegan since 2014, adopting this lifestyle since he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. By switching his diet to a plant-based diet, he mentions that it improved his health and made a commitment to animal welfare and the environment.

In addition, Russell Martin is co-owner of Erpingham House, the largest vegan restaurant in the United Kingdom, located in the English town of Norwich.

Sebastian Perez

Player of clubs like Atlético Nacional, Boca Juniors and C.F. Pachuca, he has been a vegan since 2017, when he was in Boca Juniors. Contrary to his peers, he changed his diet to a plant-based diet due to ethical issues.

This decision led him to be severely criticized during his stay in Buenos Aires, it is even believed that this was the reason why he ended up leaving the Boca Juniors. He undoubtedly gave us an example of staying faithful to discipline but also to our principles.

All the countries of the world start in this competition for the World Cup that not only encourages fanaticism for the sport but also the union between nations and a healthy competition where cultural barriers are derived and everyone comes together for good and enjoyment. in common. Enjoy while taking care of your body and the planet with Asanté!

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