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Lionel Messi worksheet A


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Inside Out

Lionel Messi worksheet A

Wembley Stadium, London, 28th May 2011, the 54th minute of the Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United – and the ball, again, was with Lionel Messi, this time about 25 metres from the United goal. United players had been sticking to him like limpets, but now, losing concentration for a moment, they gave him a couple of metres of space. They shouldn’t have: a dart forward, a fierce shot, and Messi had scored Barcelona’s crucial second goal in what would eventually be a 3–1 victory.


And so Messi won his third Champions League winners’ medal, to add to two FIFA World Player of the Year awards. Not bad for someone still only 23 years old.

Most football experts say Messi has the potential to become the best footballer of all time – a title they usually give either to the Brazilian Pelé (who played at the highest level from the late 1950s to the early 70s) or the Argentinian Diego Maradona (late 70s to mid-90s). Some have even suggested he is already the greatest ever.


Born in Argentina in 1987, Messi is not only Maradona’s compatriot but has occasionally been described as his heir. There are certainly similarities: Messi is also short (1.70 metres) and has an incredible ability to dribble – he can run around or through the opposition with the ball under his control, almost as if it were tied to his boot with invisible string. There are physical differences, however: whereas Maradona was very stocky, Messi is not particularly muscular; indeed, he doesn’t even look particularly athletic. When he got into the Barcelona first team at the age of 17, at first sight he looked less like a professional footballer than a teenage fan who had come onto the pitch from the stands. But he gave a different impression as soon as he touched the ball.
There is a very good reason for Messi’s physique. As a boy in Argentina he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency and doctors believed he might not grow taller than 1.5 metres. His parents could not afford the expensive hormone treatment the doctors recommended, so they desperately hoped a major football club, seeing his potential, would sign him and agree to pay for it. That is exactly what happened when, in 2000, the 13-year-old Messi flew to Spain to have a trial with Barcelona. The coach watching the trial was so amazed that he wanted Messi to join the club immediately, but he didn’t have a contract for him to sign. In fact, he didn’t even have a piece of paper. The solution? Messi’s first contract with Barcelona was written on a napkin.

Lionel Messi worksheet B




Exercise 1
Here are some simple definitions for words that appear in the text on Worksheet A. Find the words they refer to and fill in the gaps.

1. s _ _ c _ _ (adjective): physically strong and powerful without being tall

2. _ _ _ l (noun): the net or structure that players try to get the ball into in sports such as football and hockey; or the point or points that you get by putting the ball into it

3. c _ m _ a _ _ _ _ _ (noun): someone who is from the same country as you

4. d _ _ _ _ _ _ e (verb): to find out what physical or mental problem someone has by examining them

5. _ _ _ i _ g (noun): thin rope, used for tying things together

6. st _ _ _ s (plural noun): a part of a sports stadium where people sit or stand to watch a match or event

7. _ _ pk _ _ (noun): a piece of cloth or paper used for protecting your clothes and wiping your mouth and hands while you are eating

8. p _ t _ _ _ _ _ _ (noun): the possibility to develop or achieve something in the future

9. c _ _ _ _ _ l (adjective): extremely important

10. _ ig _ (verb): to write your full name on a document to show that you agree with what is written in it; or to officially employ someone to work for a particular organisation

11. _ _ _ _ _ ss _ _ n (noun): the opinion that other people have about you because of the way that you look, speak, or behave

12. a _ f _ _ _ _ s _ _ _ _ (phrase): when you first see something or find out about something, before you know more details

13. l _ _ _ e _ (noun): a small sea animal that has a shell and sticks tightly to rocks

14. d _ _ t (noun): a sudden, quick, short movement

15. _ _ _ ch (noun): someone who trains a sports player or team

Lionel Messi worksheet C

Exercise 2

One word has been taken out of each line of the text: how many of the missing words can you remember and replace?

(1) Wembley Stadium, London, 28th May 2011, the 54th of the Champions League

(2) final Barcelona and Manchester United – and the ball, again, was with Lionel

(3) Messi, this time about 25 metres from the United. United players had been
(4) sticking him like limpets, but now, losing concentration for a moment, they gave (5) him a couple of of space. They shouldn’t have: a dart forward, a fierce shot,

(6) and Messi had Barcelona’s crucial second goal in what would eventually be a


(7) 3–1.
(8) And so Messi his third Champions League winners’ medal, to add to two FIFA

(9) World Player of the Year awards. Not bad for someone still only 23 years.

(10) Most football experts say Messi the potential to become the best footballer of all (11) time – a title they usually give either to the Pelé (who played at the highest

(12) level from the late 1950s to the early 70s) or the Diego Maradona (late

(13) 70s to mid-90s). Some have even suggested he is already the ever.
(14) in Argentina in 1987, Messi is not only Maradona’s compatriot but has

(15) occasionally been described as heir. There are certainly similarities: Messi is also (16) short (1.70 metres) and has an incredible ability to dribble – he can around or (17) through the opposition with the under his control, almost as if it were tied to his

(18) boot with invisible. There are physical differences, however: whereas

(19) Maradona was very stocky, Messi not particularly muscular; indeed, he doesn’t (20) even look particularly athletic. When he got into the Barcelona first at the age of

(21) 17, at first sight he looked less like a professional footballer than a teenage who (22) had come onto the pitch from the stands. But he a different impression as soon (23) as he the ball.
(24) There is a very good reason for Messi’s physique. As a in Argentina he was
(25) diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency and doctors believed he might grow (26) taller than 1.5 metres. His could not afford the expensive hormone treatment

(27) the recommended, so they desperately hoped a major football club, seeing his

(28) potential, would sign him and agree to pay for it. That is exactly what when,

(29) in 2000, the 13-year-old Messi flew to to have a trial with Barcelona. The coach (30) watching trial was so amazed that he wanted Messi to join the club immediately, (31) but he didn’t have a contract for him to sign. In fact, he didn’t even have a of (32) paper. The solution? Messi’s first with Barcelona was written on a napkin.



This page has been downloaded from www.macmillanenglish.com/insideout. It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2011. These materials may contain links for third-party websites. We have no control over, and are not responsible for, the contents of such third-party websites. Please use care when accessing them.


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