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Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. qualify
    • ex. The team won enough games to qualify for the finals.
  2. a victory
    • ex. The team celebrated its victory after winning the final match.
  3. defeat
    • ex. In the video game, you need to defeat all the monsters to win the level.
  4. rule out
    • ex. The coach ruled him out of the game because he was sick.
  5. sideline
    • ex. Lily was sidelined from the game because she hurt her ankle.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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The Argentina National Football Team has shown it can win even without Lionel Messi if he doesn’t play in the 2026 World Cup. Argentina has already qualified for the tournament next year. So, fans are wondering if the 37-year-old star will participate in the next tournament to aim for another championship victory.

“We will see what happens. There is plenty of time,” said Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni. In March, Argentina proved its strength by defeating Brazil 4-1 in a match. This came just days after a 1-0 victory against Uruguay. The team achieved both victories without Messi, who was ruled out because of a muscle injury. Messi, who led Argentina to win the World Cup in 2022, has been sidelined several times this season because of injuries.

Argentina’s players hope Messi can return. Striker Julián Álvarez said, “With Messi, we might have scored more goals.” Teammate Rodrigo de Paul added that Argentina is at its best when Messi is playing. The team is in first place in the South American matches and has qualified for the 48-team World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.
Photo Credits: The Associated Press

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

The World Cup

  • In your opinion, is your country a big fan of the World Cup? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • Do you think the 2026 FIFA World Cup is going to be exciting? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, which is more important in a football team: having a great star player like Messi or having a good team where everyone works well together? Why? Discuss.

Competitions and Victory

  • Forty-eight teams will be competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Which team would you like to win the victory? Discuss.
  • How does joining a competition make you feel? Discuss.
  • What is your opinion about competitions? Discuss.