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But what is that in drink terms we hear you say? Well, a pint of strong lager, ale or cider contains 3 units of alcohol, and a standard single measure of spirits equals 1 unit. If you’re into your wine, a large glass of red or white comes in at 3 units.

So a pint at the start of each half  of the footy could take you well over the recommended units. Add another drink for extra time and you’re stepping  into binge drinking territory.

Follow that pattern for every game you watch, between now and the final, and you’re doing your body no favours in the short and long term. Simply keeping within the recommended 3 to 4 unit daily limit throughout the tournament will go a long way in preventing that from happening.


What’s in a unit?

Units measure the amount of pure alcohol in your drink. To help you out, many bottles show the number of units they contain. You can also check the ABV (alcohol by volume), which shows the percentage of pure alcohol – the higher the percentage, the stronger the drink.

Make sure you’re aware of how much you’re drinking and how strong your drink is – check the label, and beware of home-poured measures, which are often much larger than you’d get in the pub.


The consequences

Serious health problems associated with drinking too much include liver disease, cancers, diabetes, pancreatitis and heart disease. Alcohol isn’t good for your mental health either – heavy drinking is linked to stress and depression (so drowning your sorrows isn’t the way to go if we endure penalty shoot-out heartbreak again).

Your appearance can also suffer if you drink to excess. As well as making you put on weight, alcohol dries out your skin, which may cause wrinkles and premature ageing. And if that doesn’t put off prospective partners, the increased likelihood of sexual problems like impotence and even sterility might do.


Stay onside

Luckily you can reduce these risks by keeping within the guidelines.

Use our unit calculator to find out exactly how many units are in your favourite tipple. And why not keep track of your drinking over World Cup month with our Drink Diary?
 

Drinkaware advises men not to regularly drink more than 3–4 units of alcohol a day.