World Cup 'sex rules' debunked as doctor weighs in on age-old sporting myth

The World Cup kicked off last week (11 June), and millions will watch on as nations battle it out before the eagerly anticipated final next month (19 July).

While all eyes are on the players, it's clear there's a lot of attention given to this year's WAGs - AKA Wives and Girlfriends of the football stars.

People like Tolami Benson, the fiancée of Bukayo Saka, Ashlyn Castro, Jude Bellingham's girlfriend, or Megan Davison, Jordan Pickford's wife, have made headlines this week as they loyally showed up to support their partners for England's 2026 World Cup debut last night (17 June).

Now, without getting too NSFW, there's been a lot of speculation over the years when it comes to footballers and whether they should abstain from sex or not with their significant others during major sporting tournaments.

Does sex actually impact a World Cup footballer's performance? (Getty Stock Images)

Footballers and their bedroom acrobatics during the World Cup have been media fodder for years now.

It's a bit of an old sporting myth that athletes should avoid sex before important matches, and it goes back decades, with many coaches and managers thinking sex before competition would reduce aggression, sap energy, weaken legs, or lower testosterone.

As a result, over the years, some teams imposed restrictions or unofficial bans during major tournaments.

Keen to know a little more about the phenomenon, we asked an expert to give us the rundown on whether getting it on between the sheets actually impacts an athlete's performance.

The evidence generally finds that sex the night before competition does not harm athletic performance, provided it doesn't interfere with sleep, recovery, hydration, or preparation.

An expert weighed in on the decade-spanning sex myth (Getty Stock Images)

Dr Lori Bohn, a Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Medical Director at Voyager Recovery Center, exclusively told Tyla: "Pre-tournament sex can be one way for players in high-stress situations like the World Cup to use emotional closeness and physical contact to generate natural feelings of relaxation through endorphins and oxytocin that will lead to lowered stress (cortisol) and provide better quality of sleep."

The expert added that players may also feel better when they are able to maintain a regular schedule with their partner; however, she noted: "This can create a mental break from the high-pressure world of football, providing a mental escape for improved sleep."

Dr Bohn noted: "It is important to remember that the emotional/psychological effects of pre-tournament sex can vary greatly among players and are based upon each individual's beliefs and values.

"Some players may have more clarity and emotional balance because of intimate relationships, while other players may believe that abstaining from sexual activity is needed for aggressive competition."

"It is the late-night socialising or disruption of regular routines, not the sex itself, that has a negative effect on player focus," she concluded.

So, in short, sex itself doesn't seem to make athletes worse. But turning up exhausted because you stayed up until 3 am is a different story.