Watching the World Cup? Here's how pints and late nights could affect your fertility

Fertility experts explain how alcohol and poor sleep during tournament season may temporarily affect your chances of conceiving.

Football fans watching the game of their team on TV in a bar.

Getty/skynesher

Published: July 1, 2026 at 12:15 PM

Save

If you're getting into the excitement of the World Cup and watching games live, you might be heading to bed much later than normal seeing as the time difference with the US has meant games are on late into the night. You might also be drinking more than usual, either in celebration or commiseration - or just if you're watching games at the pub. But while this is all a bit of fun, fertility experts say it's worth keeping your lifestyle in mind if you're trying to conceive during this football-heavy period.

Ad

According to Dr Spiros Liatsikos, consultant in reproductive medicine and medical director at CREATE Fertility Bristol, the occasional celebration is unlikely to have a lasting effect. However, repeated late nights, heavier drinking, and disrupted routines over several weeks could temporarily influence the hormones and biological processes involved in reproduction.

For couples hoping to get pregnant, the key message is that long-term habits matter more than a single match night.

How alcohol can affect male fertility

Dr Liatsikos says sperm production is an ongoing process, meaning today's lifestyle choices can influence sperm quality in the weeks and months ahead.

He explains that repeated or heavier alcohol consumption may temporarily affect testosterone production and is associated with changes in sperm concentration, motility and morphology. Alcohol may also increase oxidative stress, which can affect sperm DNA integrity and disrupt the hormonal signals involved in healthy sperm production.

This does not mean that a few drinks while watching football will damage fertility, but repeated episodes of heavy drinking over this type of period can place additional strain on reproductive function, particularly when combined with poor sleep, dehydration, and changes in diet or physical activity.

Dr Spiros Liatsikos, CREATE Fertility Bristol

Dr Liatsikos adds that these effects are generally more noticeable with heavier or more frequent drinking and are typically reversible when alcohol intake is reduced.

Can alcohol affect ovulation?

For women trying to conceive, alcohol may temporarily influence the hormones involved in ovulation and menstrual cycle regularity.

Dr Liatsikos explains that because the liver plays an important role in regulating hormones such as oestrogen, increased alcohol intake can temporarily disrupt this balance.

As a result, some women may notice changes to cycle regularity or find ovulation becomes less predictable. He says the effect varies considerably between individuals and is usually temporary, but it can feel particularly significant for anyone actively trying to conceive.

Why sleep matters too

According to Dr Liatsikos, alcohol is often only one part of the picture.

He says fertility specialists commonly see lifestyle factors occurring together, with increased alcohol intake often accompanied by poorer sleep, changes in diet, higher stress levels, and disrupted daily routines.

"Good-quality sleep is essential for the regulation of reproductive hormones in both men and women. In practice, we do see that patients underestimate the combined effect of poor sleep and alcohol consumption on overall well-being," he says.

Even relatively short periods of disrupted sleep can affect hormone production, recovery and general reproductive health.

Dr Spiros Liatsikos, CREATE Fertility Bristol

The combination of these factors may temporarily affect reproductive health, even if each factor alone seems relatively minor.

Should couples trying to conceive avoid watching the football?

Dr Liatsikos says there's no need to avoid enjoying the World Cup if you're hoping to become pregnant.

He stresses that moderate, occasional drinking is unlikely to have a lasting impact on fertility for most people. Instead, fertility specialists are more concerned about consistent lifestyle patterns over time than isolated celebrations.

“Those who are actively trying to conceive should have in mind that reproductive health is influenced by everyday lifestyle choices. Enjoying the occasion is absolutely possible, but it is worth being mindful that repeated late nights and heavier-than-usual drinking may temporarily affect the hormones and biological processes that support fertility," Dr. Liatsikos says.

He encourages couples to focus on maintaining healthy habits overall, including getting enough sleep, moderating alcohol intake and supporting their general wellbeing.

Ad

As the World Cup continues, that means enjoying the matches while remembering that balance is likely to be more beneficial than perfection when it comes to reproductive health.

Authors

MadeForMums

Ad

Ad

Loading...

Ad

Loading...