ESL WORKSHEET - 2026 World Cup final

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

SPAIN, ARGENTINA AND A FINAL

TO REMEMBER

LinguaHouse

Jul. 29, 2026

Mixed levels: Pre-intermediate (A2-B1) and Intermediate (B1-B2)
Type of language: General English
Tags: Breaking News; Behavior, Feelings and Emotions; Celebrities and Historical Figures; Sport and Fitness; Historical Events; Challenges; Hobby; Vocabulary Lesson; Speaking; 13-15 Years Old; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old
Publication date: 07/29/2026

This lesson explores the intense emotions and loyalty of soccer fans through various reading and listening comprehension activities. The central listening exercise focuses on a dramatic World Cup final report detailing Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina after extra time. Throughout the materials, students learn specific sports terminology and informal idioms. The curriculum concludes with speaking practices that prompt students to debate the cultural impact, commercialization, and rules of modern soccer. (by Ralph J. Wood)

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English (L3).
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English (L4).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English (L3).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English (L4).
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English (L3).
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English (L4).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English (L3).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English (L4).
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in British English.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Speaker: Good evening. Spain are World Cup champions again. Last night, in New Jersey, they beat Argentina one–nil, after extra time, in a final that had everything.
It was Spain’s second World Cup title. Their first was back in 2010. For most of the game, they were clearly the better team. Spain had the ball for sixty-five per cent of the match, and they had twenty shots at goal. Even so, it was hard for them to score even one.
The hero for Argentina was their goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez. He made eleven saves – more than any goalkeeper in a World Cup final before. Every time Spain attacked, he seemed to be there. For a long time, it looked like the match might finish with no goals at all and go to penalties.
Then, close to the end of normal time, Argentina’s Enzo Fernández got a second yellow card and was sent off. Argentina had to play the whole of extra time with only ten men. Slowly, you could see them growing exhausted.
The goal everyone was waiting for finally came in the hundred-and-sixth minute. Nico Williams headed the ball down, and Ferran Torres hit it into the net. It was a big moment for Torres, who had missed several good chances earlier in the tournament. This time, he did not miss.
After the final whistle, things turned unpleasant for a few minutes. There was pushing and shoving between some of the players, and it was not a nice way to end such a big match.
But the awards told a different story. Spain’s Rodri won the Golden Ball for player of the tournament. Young defender Pau Cubarsí, only nineteen, was named best young player. And goalkeeper Unai Simón won the Golden Glove, keeping a clean sheet in almost every match and conceding only one goal in the whole competition – a record for a winning team.
For Argentina’s Lionel Messi, now thirty-nine years old, this was probably his last World Cup. For Spain’s young stars, it might be just the beginning. Back to the studio.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/spain-argentina-and-a-final-to-remember. Accessed on August 10, 2026. LinguaHouse.com © 2008–2026. All rights reserved.