Sports & Travel
Why Pink Cleats Have Taken Over the World Cup
30 Jun 2026
NEW
Select
a Level
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Think Ahead:
Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) Players wearing bright green shorts.
b) Famous football stars wearing bright pink boots.
c) The football matches being played in the dark.
Ask:
(1) What is your favourite colour for sports shoes?
(2) Do you like watching football matches on television?
VOCABULARY
boot
(noun)
bright
(adjective)
grass
(noun)
pitch
(noun)
player
(noun)
match
(noun)
A special shoe worn for playing football.
Example: He tied his football boot before the game.
Having a lot of light or strong colour.
Example: She wears a bright yellow hat.
A common green plant that grows on the ground.
Example: The cows eat the green grass.
The area of ground where a football match is played.
Example: The teams walked onto the football pitch.
A person who plays a game or sport.
Example: He is the best football player in our school.
A game or contest between two teams.
Example: We won our football match yesterday.
Listen
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Do you like the colour pink? Why or why not?
2. What colour are your shoes?
3. Do you like watching football on television?
4. Who is your favourite sports star?
5. Why do you think players want to stand out?
6. Would you wear bright pink boots to play a game?
FILL IN THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: bright, grass, matches, pitch
The World Cup is a very big football tournament. This year, something is different. Many football players are wearing _______(1) pink boots on the green _______(2). In the past, players usually wore black or white boots. Now, pink is everywhere! Why do they choose pink? Companies made these pink boots because they are easy to see. When a player runs fast on the green _______(3), their team-mates can see their feet quickly. This helps them pass the ball better. Fans at home can also see their favourite players clearly on television. Many children now want to buy pink boots for their own school _______(4). They want to look like the famous stars. It is a colourful and fun trend in the world of football this summer.
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the main idea of the article?
a) Children love watching television at home.
b) Many football players are wearing bright pink boots at the World Cup.
c) Black boots are better than pink boots.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
1. Players at the World Cup only wear black boots. T/F
2. Pink boots are easy to see on the green grass. T/F
3. Many children want to buy pink boots now. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Put the following events in the correct order from 1 to 3.
a) Companies designed bright pink football boots.
b) Famous players wore the pink boots on the pitch during World Cup matches.
c) Children saw their heroes and wanted to buy pink boots for school.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
1. boot
2. bright
3. grass
4. pitch
a) A type of shoe used for sports like football.
b) Something that has a very strong or light colour.
c) The green plants that cover the ground of a pitch.
d) The green area where a football game is played.
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
1. I think pink boots look very cool because they are so _______.
a) dark
b) bright
c) old
d) boring
2. My favourite football _______ is wearing them this week.
a) pitch
b) ball
c) player
d) grass
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
1. [A] pink [B] boots [C] are [D] very [E] bright
2. [A] they [B] play [C] football [D] on [E] grass
ANSWER KEY
Warm Up:
Answer: b
Section 1:
(1) bright, (2) pitch, (3) grass, (4) matches
Section 2:
Answer: b
Section 3:
1. False, 2. True, 3. True
Section 4:
Companies designed bright pink football boots.
Famous players wore the pink boots on the pitch during World Cup matches.
Children saw their heroes and wanted to buy pink boots for school.
Section 5:
1-b, 2-c, 3-d, 4-a
Section 6:
1-b, 2-c
Section 7:
A-B-C-D-E (Pink boots are very bright)
A-B-C-D-E (They play football on grass)
Section 8:
Student answers will vary.