Lionel Messi has been spending some quality time with his pregnant wife as the pair enjoy a sip of ‘mate’.

The Barcelona star has often been seen with a cup of mate, a South American beverage which is popular with his team-mates.

With the Catalan club nine points clear in the race for La Liga and with the Argentine the current top scorer in the league, we may have found his secret to their success.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi enjoys a sip of popular ‘Mate’ tea as the star relaxes at home

Mate is a caffeine-rich drink, similar to tea, which has become popular in South America- notably Argentina and Uruguay. It is consumed through a straw and traditionally held in a gourd.

The 30-year-old was pictured at home enjoying the drink ahead of Barcelona’s second-leg against Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey.

His pregnant wife Antonella Roccuzzo was also pictured drinking it with the distinctive mug – personalised with her name – balanced on her baby bump.

Messi is not the only Barca star who enjoys a sip of mate. Team-mate Luis Suarez is also a fan and has frequently been seen enjoying a mug or two.

Messi’s wife Antonella Roccuzzo also enjoyed the drink, with the mug balanced on her bump

Barcelona teammate Luiz Suarez is also a fan of the caffeine-rich South American drink

We may be seeing new signing Philippe Coutinho holding a cup of mate soon enough, with the playmaker securing his much-anticipated move to the Nou Camp.

The £145million man is expected to be officially presented as a Barcelona player after his medical on Monday morning.

It is yet to be decided where Coutinho will fit alongside Messi and Suarez but the Catalan club will hope their latest signing can help them extend their current dominance over Real Madrid.