Fifa WorldCup 2022 and Snus

The Magic of Football – More Than Just a Game

Snusline is a Snus Shop, the football players are using Snus and Nicotine pouches. If you’re into football then you’ll probably want to know what the connection is between football and snus. Why there are more and more players who consume Snus or Nicotine Pouches, especially the Famous Siberia Red Slim Extremely Strong Snus and players come from UK. We will try to understand and to find the best answer.

The football world is getting ready for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and it’s being felt all over the web and social media channels.  This major sports event is not limited to only football, even though football is what is at the center of it.  Much more is going on at the FIFA games other than just watching a football match and teams playing each other until one team wins The Cup. 

Football, the game where a ball is kicked across a field and ends up in the opponent’s net until one of the teams wins, is more than what meets the eye; more than just a game.  

If you really give it some thought, FIFA World Cup 2022, and the world cup games in general, is a coming together of no less than 32 nations uniting with one common goal, their love for sport, and more specifically, football; a sport that started out 150 years ago in England and has crossed borders and continents to reach almost every country across the globe. 

The Global Expansion of Football

It can easily be said about football that it’s the only sport in the world that attracts such a wide and diverse audience, universally and across all age groups, religions and nationalities.  This global expansion of football is what drives the FIFA World Cup and justifies the fanfare and month-long festivities surrounding the game. 

FIFA – A Unique Atmosphere 

Aside from the actual sport and team competition with the culmination of the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner,  lots more is going on in Qatar around the FIFA games.  There is also the FIFA Trophy Tour and the FIFA Fan Festival.  

As stated on the official FIFA website: 

“The FIFA Fan Festival is the perfect place to watch FIFA World Cup™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup™ matches live in a buzzing atmosphere, while also enjoying an exciting football and entertainment programme.”

“The FIFA Fan Festival is the central destination where fans from all over the world meet to share their emotions and celebrate the unique atmosphere of the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup. It is an event for every fan – from avid or casual football enthusiasts to lovers of music, food and culture!

Fans from all over the world can look forward to 29 days of football, music, culture and lifestyle – a true festival of football!”

There is therefore a whole culture of football driving the FIFA experience and as many people start crowding to Qatar to live it in all its glory, one question comes to mind:  

What is it about football that makes the crowds roar and takes the simplicity of the game to an almost religious fanaticism?  

As stated in Wikipedia:  “ In many countries, football has ingrained itself into the national culture, and parts of life may revolve around it.

To understand what this is all about, just take a look at how much money and time went into planning, developing and organizing what is about to become the biggest venue of 2022;  

As described on BBC News.com: 

“Qatar has built seven stadiums for the World Cup finals as well as a new airport, metro system, series of roads and about 100 new hotels. An entire city has been constructed around the stadium which will host the final match.

Money and Football

This is also surely the reason why a top football player can earn over $100,000,000 per year, including expensive endorsement deals from top sportswear brands.  Such an example is Cristiano Ronaldo, the top football player for Manchester United.  Ronaldo earns $55 million annually for a lifetime in an endorsement deal for Nike, making him the second “most valuable Athlete(s) With <a “rel=”nofollow” href=”https://www.totalsportal.com/money/athletes-with-expensive-endorsement-deals/”>Expensive Endorsement Deals in Sports history.  Another football player, Lionel Messi, comes in fifth place with $37 million in his sponsorship with Adidas.

As Justin Birnbaum states in Forbes, “When Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi each crossed $100 million in total annual earnings for the first time in 2018, both were in their 30s, at the respective heights of their careers. Kylian Mbappé (23) […] will earn $128 million for the 2022-23 season […] the world’s highest-paid soccer player that lands him the No. 1 spot.

Football, Sports and Snus 

You can be sure if we were living somewhere between the 50s and late 70s, we would have some of these athletes possibly endorsing tobacco products.  

You may think that statement is a little far fetched, but if the health hazards associated with smoking hadn’t changed the face of the tobacco industry due to anti-smoking laws and tobacco legislation, than smokeless tobacco such as nicotine pouches and snus would probably be on the list of sponsorships for top athletes across the board, and especially in sports requiring high levels of stamina, such as extreme winter sports, football and hockey. 

Actually, these smoke-free tobacco/nicotine alternatives can provide the effects of nicotine without bearing the harmful effects of smoking.  Side effects of nicotine intake such as   “increase in blood pressure, heart rate, flow of blood to the heart…” can all be beneficial to athletes requiring that extra kick their stamina into high gear. 

Is Snus Administration Doping?

Everyone knows that doping is banned by WADA and can disqualify any athlete in any competition, however nicotine is the exception to the rule.  In addition, nicotine can be administered orally before, during and after a game and none would be the wiser.  

Actually, snus and nicotine pouches can be slipped discretely between the upper lip and gums and give the athlete the kick they need within seconds, due in part  to the higher levels of dopamine released in the brain. 

It can also help rid athletes of anxiety prior to a game, allowing them to focus on their game and indirectly improve their performance.

Athletes have also been known to take snus (with tobacco or tobacco-free, aka nicotine pouches) after a game to unwind and relax.  Quite a few athletes can attest to the many positive impacts of snus/nicotine pouches, such as improved mood and weight control amongst others. 

The latter has been witnessed by many athletes, yet no one really shouts it off the rooftops since this topic is still quite controversial in the sportsworld. However, some footballers have been caught “on tape” with a can of snus in hand or what seems like slipping a snus portion/nicotine  under their lip.  Actually, Kylian Mbappé can be seen placing a pouch of snus under his upper lip on December 7, 2021 on Canal +, a French television channel.  

So there you have it.  Whether we see more athletes using snus openly in the future of FIFA depends only on how accepting football culture will become and if we are ever able to rid the sportsworld of the stigma surrounding nicotine administration in sports.