ESL WORKSHEET - Soccer legend

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

LIONEL MESSI

LinguaHouse

Jan. 19, 2026

Level: Pre-intermediate (A2-B1)
Type of language: General English
Tags: Celebrities and Historical Figures; Sport and Fitness; People and Places; Entertainment; Speaking; Pronunciation; Vocabulary Lesson; Article Based; Adjectives; 10-12 Years Old; 13-15 Years Old; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old
Publication date: 01/19/2026

This audio-aided lesson covers the career of soccer legend, Lionel Messi. The lesson focuses on vocabulary, listening comprehension and speaking, and there is a quick look at how words with -ed endings are pronounced. There is also an optional extension activity which focuses on the origins of the familiar black and white soccer. (by Stephanie Hirschman)

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in British English.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Lionel Messi was born in 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. It soon became clear that he was a talented soccer player. At the age of eight, he began to train with a local club.
However, Messi was very small for his age. Doctors prescribed daily injections of human growth hormone to help him grow. This was very expensive, and his parents found it difficult to meet the costs. So, Messi took the chance to move to Barcelona FC when he was thirteen, as they were willing to pay for his medical expenses. Eventually, Messi reached a height of 5'6", about average for an Argentinian man.
Messi stayed at Barcelona for seventeen seasons. He was fast and agile, and the fact that he is left-footed was an advantage as well. During this time, he was an extremely valuable player. In 2009 alone, Barcelona won the Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup titles. In the same year, Messi was named the FIFA World Player of the Year and received his first Ballon d’Or award, the top European individual honor in soccer. In 2021 he moved to Paris Saint Germain and in 2023 he started to play for Inter Miami. He has also played for the Argentine national team.
Messi’s career has sometimes been controversial. In 2016 he and his father were found guilty of tax fraud and received a suspended prison sentence and a fine. In 2023, Paris Saint Germain punished him for making an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia. In addition, some people have suggested that his childhood use of human growth hormone has given him an unfair advantage.
As Messi grows older, he will need to decide whether to keep playing, turn to coaching or management, or concentrate on other activities, like his charity work for UNICEF.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/meet-lionel-messi. Accessed on January 26, 2026. LinguaHouse.com © 2008–2025. All rights reserved.