90min

The Food Football Fans Eat at Stadiums Around the World

By Jude Summerfield

You gotta have a pre-game delicacy before kick off
You gotta have a pre-game delicacy before kick off / Omar Vega/Getty Images
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There are a fair few things you have to do before attending a football match for it to be considered a proper day out.

Take the exact same route? Check. Meet a few pals for a chat beforehand? Check. Get some delicious pre-game grub? Absolutely check.

No 'Piegate' controversy to be seen here, Wayne
No 'Piegate' controversy to be seen here, Wayne / Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

The cuisine varies from continent to continent around the world, be it from cups of tea to ten feet tall hot dogs. Here are a few of the best foods at football stadiums around the globe.

1. Pies

This is a very British football food. Let's be honest, most of the time you get a load of pastry and little else on the inside.

Want a good pie? Get down to a non league side like Kidderminster. They take a bit more care and pride in their pies.

Want vegan? Go to Forest Green Rovers!

2. Chips

Who hasn't shoved a polystyrene plate of chips down their gullet at a football game?

In England, fans cake their potatoes in salt and vinegar, whereas over in Belgium and Holland they prefer a bit of mayonnaise on the side. To quote Pulp Fiction, they drown em in that sh*t.

3. Sandwiches

Yes kids, even Carlos Tevez enjoys a sandwich
Yes kids, even Carlos Tevez enjoys a sandwich / STRINGER/Getty Images

These come in all shapes and sizes across Europe.

You can get a köfte ekmek - a variant of a meatball sandwich - in Turkey, grilled pork steaks in Portugal, or a galette-saucisse in France.

They're all filled with meat. Not much room for your vegetarians at football games, it would seem. Don't even say the word 'vegan' next to Big Dave.

4. Sunflowers Seeds

An Atletico Madrid fan munching on some sunflower seeds
An Atletico Madrid fan munching on some sunflower seeds / Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Sunflower seeds are pretty common snacks in Eurasian countries like Armenia and Azerbaijan, but you'll also find ankle-deep pools of discarded shells in places like Spain.

5. Burgers

Looks...appetising?
Looks...appetising? / Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Again, you'll find plenty of burger vendors around England, but they're also dolled out pretty handsomely in Slovenia and the Netherlands.

6. Sausage

Some subliminal messaging at a Dortmund fixture
Some subliminal messaging at a Dortmund fixture / TF-Images/Getty Images

Want some bratwurst? Get yourself over to Germany.

Big quantities of sausages are also demanded by fans in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland and Italy. Ask for a 'salamella' in Rome and you'll get a grilled sausage with onions and paprika. Not bad, eh?

7. Hot Dogs

Oh to be that fan in a stand eating a hot dog
Oh to be that fan in a stand eating a hot dog / GABRIEL BOUYS/Getty Images

Hot dogs get around in Europe, but they're largely synonymous with the United States.

Each American state is pretty big on food culture, so each Major League Soccer side offers a wee spin on the street food.

8. Choripan

Choripan fuels the fire for Boca Juniors and River Plate supporters
Choripan fuels the fire for Boca Juniors and River Plate supporters / Gabriel Rossi/Getty Images

This is a little more specific to Argentina. Choripan is made from pork and beef chorizo and is a go-to for football fans, taxi drivers and is present at most markets and stalls