Sports & Travel
Teenage Football Star Gilberto Mora Makes World Cup History
16 Jul 2026
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Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) A teenager who plays professional football
b) A famous stadium built in a major city
c) A school tournament won by a local team
Ask:
(1) Do you like playing or watching football?
(2) Is it easy or difficult for a teenager to become a famous sports star?
VOCABULARY
History
(noun)
Young
(adjective)
Match
(noun)
Team
(noun)
Dream
(noun)
Support
(noun)
Important events from the past.
Example: Gilberto made history by playing at a very early age.
Having lived for only a short time.
Example: The young player surprised everyone with his amazing football skills.
A game of football or another sport.
Example: The football match against England was very exciting for the fans.
A group of people who play a sport together.
Example: The Mexican national team won their first four games this summer.
Something you really want to happen in the future.
Example: His greatest dream was to play in the World Cup tournament.
Help, care, or encouragement given to someone.
Example: The fans gave a lot of support to the team during the tournament.
Gilberto Mora is a young football player from Mexico. He is only seventeen years old. This summer, he played in the famous World Cup tournament. He made history for his country. Gilberto is the youngest player ever to start a major knockout match for Mexico. He plays as a midfielder and is very skilful.
His team played four great matches and won them all without letting the other teams score. Many people travelled to see them play. In the final match, Mexico played against England. It was an exciting match, but England won three-to-two.
After the match, the famous player Jude Bellingham changed shirts with Gilberto to show respect. Gilberto wrote a kind message online to thank his fans for their amazing support. His dream came true this year. Many big football clubs in Europe now want Gilberto to play for them.
Listen
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Would you like to play in a famous sports tournament like the World Cup?
2. Why do you think fans are important for a football team?
3. How do you feel when you write a nice message to your friends online?
4. If you could change shirts with any famous athlete, who would you choose?
5. Do you prefer playing sports with a team or playing sports alone?
6. What is a big dream that you want to come true in the future?
FILL IN THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: history, match, support, young
Gilberto Mora is a _______(1) football player from Mexico. He is only seventeen years old. This summer, he played in the famous World Cup tournament. He made _______(2) for his country. Gilberto is the youngest player ever to start a major knockout _______(3) for Mexico. He plays as a midfielder and is very skilful.
His team played four great matches and won them all without letting the other teams score. Many people travelled to see them play. In the final match, Mexico played against England. It was an exciting match, but England won three-to-two.
After the match, the famous player Jude Bellingham changed shirts with Gilberto to show respect. Gilberto wrote a kind message online to thank his fans for their amazing _______(4). His dream came true this year. Many big football clubs in Europe now want Gilberto to play for them.
Section 2: Main Idea
Choose the best summary of the article.
a) A young Mexican football player named Gilberto made history at the World Cup.
b) England won a football tournament and received a special trophy.
c) Gilberto Mora moved to Europe to become a football coach for children.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
1. Gilberto Mora is twenty years old. T/F
2. Mexico played against England in the final match. T/F
3. Gilberto changed shirts with Jude Bellingham. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Number the events from 1 to 3 to show when they happened.
_______ Gilberto changed shirts with a famous player named Jude Bellingham.
_______ Gilberto played in the famous World Cup tournament at seventeen.
_______ Gilberto made his professional debut at fifteen years old.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
1. History
2. Match
3. Team
4. Support
a) A group of people playing a sport together
b) Help, care, or encouragement given to someone
c) Important events from the past
d) A game of football or another sport
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
1. My favourite sport to watch on television is _______ because it is full of action.
a) football b) basketball c) tennis
2. When my favourite sports team loses a match, I usually feel _______ but hopeful.
a) happy b) sad c) angry
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
1. A) seventeen B) player C) is D) years E) old
2. A) dream B) true C) came D) his E) today
ANSWER KEY
Warm Up Answer: a
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
young
history
match
support
Section 2: Main Idea a
Section 3: True or False
False
True
True
Section 4: Put Events in Order 3, 2, 1
Section 5: Vocab Match
c
d
a
b
Section 6: Discussion Builder Student's own choice
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
He is seventeen years old.
His dream came true today.
Section 8: Discussion Questions Student's own answers.