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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Lionel Messi
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Lionel Messi - World Player of the Year Again (11th January, 2011)

Lionel Messi is the world’s best football player for the second year in a row. He won the FIFA Ballon d'Or ahead of his Barcelona team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Messi, 23, scored 60 goals for his club and country in 2010, although he didn’t perform very well at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He told reporters: "To be honest, I didn't expect to win today, but it was already great to be here next to my two mates. To win it makes it even more special. I want to share with all of my friends, my family, all the [Barcelona fans] and the Argentinians."

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The award for the women’s player of the year went to Brazilian forward Marta. It is the fifth straight time she has picked up the prize. She won with 38.2 per cent of the votes, beating Germany's Birgit Prinz and Kosovo’s Lira Bajramaj. Coach of the year went to current Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho after leading Inter Milan to the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup titles. He became famous when he was Chelsea’s coach for calling himself the “Special One”. He said: "The most important things for me are the collective titles, not the individual ones."

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	the world’s	a.	in a row
2	the second year	b.	win today
3.	scored 60 goals for	c.	best football player
4.	I didn't expect to	d.	more special
5.	even	e.	of my friends
6.	share with all	f.	his club

Paragraph 2

1.	The award for the	a.	of the votes
2	It is the fifth straight	b.	the “Special One”
3.	38.2 per cent	c.	for me
4.	leading Inter Milan to the	d.	time
5.	calling himself	e.	women’s player
6.	The most important things	f.	Champions League

LISTENING GAP FILL

Lionel Messi ___________________ football player for the ___________________ row. He won the FIFA Ballon d'Or ahead of his Barcelona team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Messi, 23, scored 60 ___________________ country in 2010, although he didn’t ___________________ the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He told reporters: "To be honest, I didn't expect to win today, but it was already great ___________________ my two mates. To win it makes it even more special. I want to ___________________ friends, my family, all the [Barcelona fans] and the Argentinians."

The award for the women’s player of the year went to Brazilian forward Marta. It is ___________________ she has picked up the prize. She won with 38.2 per ___________________, beating Germany's Birgit Prinz and Kosovo’s Lira Bajramaj. Coach ___________________ current Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho after leading Inter Milan to the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup titles. He became ___________________ was Chelsea’s coach ___________________ the “Special One”. He said: "The most important things for me are the collective titles, not ___________________."

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Lionel Messi is the world’s best football player for the second year in a (1) ____. He won the FIFA Ballon d'Or (2) ____ of his Barcelona team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Messi, 23, scored 60 goals for his club and country in 2010, although he didn’t (3) ____ very well at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He told reporters: "To be (4) ____, I didn't expect to win today, but it was (5) ____ great to be here next to my two mates. To win it makes it even more special. I want to share (6) ____ all of my friends, my family, all the [Barcelona fans] and the Argentinians."

The award for the women’s player of the year went to Brazilian forward Marta. It is the fifth (7) ____ time she has picked up the prize. She won (8) ____ 38.2 per cent of the votes, beating Germany's Birgit Prinz and Kosovo’s Lira Bajramaj. Coach of the year (9) ____ to current Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho after (10) ____ Inter Milan to the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup titles. He became famous when he was Chelsea’s coach for (11) ____ himself the “Special One”. He said: "The most important things for me are the collective titles, not the (12) ____ ones."

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	row	(b)	table	(c)	column
2.	(a)	header	(b)	headed	(c)	ahead
3.	(a)	perform	(b)	reform	(c)	conform
4.	(a)	honesty	(b)	honest	(c)	honestly
5.	(a)	already	(b)	ready	(c)	readied
6.	(a)	by	(b)	with	(c)	from
7.	(a)	bent	(b)	curly	(c)	straight
8.	(a)	to	(b)	with	(c)	at
9.	(a)	went	(b)	gone	(c)	came
10.	(a)	lead	(b)	leading	(c)	leads
11.	(a)	called	(b)	calls	(c)	calling
12	(a)	alone	(b)	lonely	(c)	individual

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	for the dosecn year
2.	rcosde 60 goals
3.	didn’t mofrper very well
4.	To be ohesnt
5.	even more slicpae
6.	asehr with all of my friends
Paragraph 2
7.	the fifth arthgtsi time
8.	picked up the eirzp
9.	eucrrtn Real Madrid manager
10.	the mahopisCn League
11.	He became asfuom
12.	collective tleits

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	in 2010, although he didn’t perform very well at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He told
( )	of his Barcelona team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Messi, 23, scored 60 goals for his club and country
( )	current Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho after leading Inter Milan to the Champions League,
( 1 )	Lionel Messi is the world’s best football player for the second year in a row. He won the FIFA Ballon d'Or ahead
( )	of my friends, my family, all the [Barcelona fans] and the Argentinians."
( )	straight time she has picked up the prize. She won with 38.2 per cent of the votes, beating
( )	The award for the women’s player of the year went to Brazilian forward Marta. It is the fifth
( )	Germany's Birgit Prinz and Kosovo’s Lira Bajramaj. Coach of the year went to
( )	to my two mates. To win it makes it even more special. I want to share with all
( )	the “Special One”. He said: "The most important things for me are the collective titles, not the individual ones."
( )	reporters: "To be honest, I didn't expect to win today, but it was already great to be here next
( )	Serie A and Italian Cup titles. He became famous when he was Chelsea’s coach for calling himself

WORD JUMBLE

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	player second The football the best for year world’s.
2.	perform very well at the FIFA World Cup He didn’t.
3.	be to mates to next two Great here my.
4.	special makes it To even win more it.
5.	to all friends want with my I share of.
6.	for player year award women’s the The the of.
7.	time It the straight is fifth.
8.	the of cent per 38.2 with won She votes.
9.	he He was became Chelsea’s famous coach when.
10.	Important the things collective for titles me are.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about Lionel Messi for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. LIONEL MESSI: Search the Internet and find more information about Lionel Messi. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Lionel Messi. Include imaginary interviews with him and his fans. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Lionel Messi. Ask him three questions about football. Give him three suggestions on how to make football more exciting. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Lionel Messi (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)