A first-division soccer club in Portugal made headlines this weekend, but not for anything that happened on the field. The team, owned by Brazilian superstar Vinícius Jr., was fined by the Portuguese Football Federation after reports of a strong weed smell coming from the stands.
According to Argentine sports outlet Olé, the incident took place during a Primeira Liga match between Alverca and Santa Clara. Throughout the game, players sitting on the Santa Clara bench were surrounded by the persistent smell, which appeared to be drifting in from the west stand —an area occupied exclusively by Alverca supporters.
The odor was reportedly strong enough that some of the visiting players chose to move away from the bench area.
But the smell was not the only issue that day. In the referee’s official report, Hélder Filipe Carvalho also noted that Alverca fans insulted Santa Clara striker Gonçalo Paciência during the match. One spectator was eventually removed from the stadium for behavior that, while described as discreet, suggested possible cannabis possession or use.
In the end, the Portuguese federation fined Alverca with €765 for what it classified as “improper public conduct”.
It is worth noting, however, that in Portugal all drugs are decriminalized, and possession of small personal amounts of cannabis is not considered a criminal offense.
Not Every Soccer Club Is Afraid of Weed
While some soccer headlines still revolve around complaints about cannabis smoke in stadiums, other parts of the sport are moving in the opposite direction, openly embracing the plant’s cultural presence.
One recent example comes from Jamaica’s national team, which unveiled new Adidas jerseys for the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in collaboration with the Bob Marley Foundation. The kits draw heavily from reggae culture and Marley’s visual legacy, incorporating the iconic red, green, and black color palette and references to the island’s musical heritage. The project positions soccer not just as a sport but as a cultural platform that blends music, identity, and global influence.
Germany offers another example from the professional club world. Bundesliga side Union Berlin has partnered with Avaay Medical, a Berlin-based medical cannabis company, making it one of the first major European soccer clubs to feature a cannabis brand as a sponsor. The collaboration focuses on education and destigmatization, using the visibility of soccer to promote more informed conversations about medical cannabis and health.
Taken together, these developments suggest that while cannabis may still raise eyebrows in some stadiums, the global soccer ecosystem is already finding new ways to integrate the plant into its culture, branding, and public conversations.
Tennis Knows the Smell Too
While the situation in Portugal might sound unusual, complaints about weed smell drifting into sporting events have surfaced in other areas, especially at the US Open in New York.
In recent years, several tennis players have commented on the smell occasionally floating through parts of the tournament grounds at Flushing Meadows. Since recreational marijuana was legalized in New York in 2021, the scent has become a familiar part of the city’s atmosphere. At times, it has even been noticeable on courts located closest to the surrounding park.
Norwegian star Casper Ruud even called it “the worst thing about New York,” complaining during a mixed doubles match that players could smell cannabis while competing. Ruud said it can be frustrating for athletes trying to concentrate during a match, especially late in long tournaments when players are already physically exhausted.
Other players have made similar remarks. Alexander Zverev once joked that Court 17, one of the courts closest to Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, “smells like Snoop Dogg’s living room.” Novak Djokovic has also acknowledged that the smell can sometimes be noticeable around the courts and practice areas, though he noted that players ultimately have little choice but to accept it as part of the New York environment.
In other words, while soccer fans in Portugal may have pushed the smell into the headlines this week, this phenomenon of weed drifting into major sporting events is far from unique.
Cover photo created with AI.
