What and when should a soccer player drink to stay hydrated

There's such a large gamma of sports drinks out there that it's quite hard to choose the "right" one for yourself, or for your team if you're a coach. A good sports drink is one that offers a high amount of carbohydrates and water, but that doesn't mean that good old H2O can't be good for proper hydration just by itself.

 
Sports drinks do have some advantages though: they're better tasting so they can be drank in larger quantities, they have carbs that can't be found in simple water and they have glucose which helps with reducing fatigue and muscle tiredness.

 
Obviously, juices and sodas aren't the best choice. Anything that has carbonation in it can cause you an aching stomach and that's the worst you could get in a soccer match. Milk is way too heavy on the stomach and can also cause an upset belly, so it's best if you think of milk as a source of macronutrients rather than a means of proper hydration.

When should I drink it?

In order to keep your self well hydrated, you need to drink well at least 16 hours before the match, several times during the match and a few hours after it's over. You can start by drinking plain water a few days prior to the match, at set intervals, even when you're not particularly thirsty.

 
You don't need to hydrate yourself using sports drinks that early on, since the extra carbohydrates you get from them will go to waste. However, it's a good idea to use a sports drink in your light pre game meal as a source of carb fuel for the upcoming effort.