Lionel Messi: The Boy Who Needed Medicine
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EN: The passive construction 'be born' is used to express where or when someone came into the world. Since birth is a completed past event, it is almost always used in the simple past tense ('was born' for singular subjects, 'were born' for plural).
She was born in a small village in France.
EN: Prepositions of place and time: 'in' is used before cities and countries (e.g., 'in the city of Rosario, Argentina') to indicate a geographical area, and also before years (e.g., 'in 1987') to indicate a specific period of time.
They moved to London in 2015.
EN: Rosario is the third-largest city in Argentina and is famous for being a major port and the birthplace of several prominent Argentine figures, including Lionel Messi and Che Guevara. It has a passionate football culture, divided mainly between two rival local clubs: Rosario Central and Newell's Old Boys (where Messi played as a youth).
EN: The comparative structure 'more than anything else' is used to express a superlative meaning, indicating that the subject of comparison exceeds all other options in a specific category.
She values her family's happiness more than anything else.
EN: The preposition 'as' can be used to introduce a role, status, or a specific period in someone's life, meaning 'when someone was a...'.
He showed great talent for music as a child.
EN: In Argentina and much of the Spanish-speaking world, football (soccer) is not just a sport but a core cultural identity. For a child growing up in Rosario, playing football in the streets is a common and defining part of childhood, which laid the foundation for Messi's extraordinary career.
EN: Noun Clause as Direct Object: The conjunction 'that' introduces a noun clause ('that he had a growth hormone problem') which functions as the direct object of the transitive verb 'discovered'. In this structure, 'that' has no semantic meaning and is often omitted in informal speech, but is kept in formal writing.
The teacher noticed that the students were tired.
EN: Prepositional Phrase of Time: 'at age ten' is a prepositional phrase acting as an adverbial modifier to indicate the specific age or time when the action occurred. It is a shortened form of 'at the age of ten'.
At age eighteen, she left her hometown to attend university.
EN: The 'growth hormone problem' mentioned refers to Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD), a rare medical condition. In Lionel Messi's case, his local club in Argentina, Newell's Old Boys, initially agreed to help pay for his treatment but later backed out due to the high cost (around $900 a month). This financial struggle ultimately led to his trial with FC Barcelona, who famously agreed to pay for his medical bills, changing the course of football history.
EN: The modal verb 'could not' is used to express past inability or impossibility. It is followed by the base form of the verb (in this case, 'afford').
She could not find her keys yesterday.
EN: The verb 'refuse' is followed by a to-infinitive (refuse + to + verb) to indicate that someone decides not to do something.
He refused to answer the question.
EN: The verb 'see' is a sensory verb (verb of perception). When followed by an object and a bare infinitive (verb in base form without 'to'), it indicates that the subject witnessed the entire action from start to finish.
We saw the plane land safely on the runway.
EN: The idiom 'cannot believe one's eyes' is used to express extreme surprise or disbelief at something one is seeing.
When she opened the gift, she could not believe her eyes.
EN: This sentence refers to the famous scouting of Lionel Messi by FC Barcelona. Messi had a growth hormone deficiency, and local Argentine clubs couldn't afford his treatment. Barcelona's sporting director, Carles Rexach, was so impressed by his talent that he famously signed Messi's first contract on a paper napkin to secure him immediately.
EN: The 'so... that...' structure is a result clause used to express cause and effect. 'So' is followed by an adjective or adverb to show extreme degree, and 'that' introduces the clause showing the result.
The weather was so cold that the lake froze over.
EN: The infinitive phrase 'to sign him' functions as an adjective complement, completing the meaning of the adjective 'eager'.
She was anxious to start her new job.
EN: This sentence refers to a famous piece of football history. In December 2000, Barcelona's sporting director, Carles Rexach, was so impressed by the 13-year-old Lionel Messi that he wanted to secure the contract immediately. Lacking official paper at a tennis club meeting, he famously wrote the agreement on a nearby paper napkin, which became one of the most important documents in sports history.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'At thirteen' is a shortened form of 'At the age of thirteen'. It is commonly used at the beginning of a sentence to establish the time or age at which an event occurred, followed by a comma.
At eighteen, she left her hometown to attend university.
EN: The verb 'move' is often paired with the preposition 'to' to indicate the destination of relocation. When expressing the purpose of the move, the preposition 'for' is used (e.g., 'for a new life').
They moved to London for a better job opportunity.
EN: This sentence refers to a pivotal moment in football history. In 2000, thirteen-year-old Lionel Messi relocated from Argentina to Spain to join Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia. The club famously agreed to pay for his growth hormone deficiency treatments, which his family and local Argentine clubs could not afford. This move laid the foundation for his legendary career.
EN: Compound Predicate with Coordinating Conjunction: A compound predicate occurs when a single subject ('The Spanish club') performs two or more actions connected by a coordinating conjunction like 'and'. Here, 'welcomed' and 'paid' share the same subject, making the sentence more concise by avoiding repetition of 'The Spanish club'.
The young artist painted the canvas and sold it at the gallery.
EN: Phrasal Verb 'pay for': The verb 'pay' is often combined with the preposition 'for' to form a phrasal verb meaning to provide money in exchange for a service, item, or bill. The object of the preposition ('his expensive medicine') represents what is being purchased.
My parents offered to pay for my university tuition.
EN: This sentence refers to a pivotal moment in Lionel Messi's youth. FC Barcelona's decision to pay for his growth hormone treatment (which cost around $900 a month) not only secured his future as a professional athlete but also established a deep, lifelong bond between the player and the Spanish club.
EN: The Present Perfect Tense ('has grown') is used here to describe an action or state that began in the past and has continued up to the present, emphasizing the ongoing result or status in the current time.
She has lived in this city for ten years.
EN: The phrasal verb 'grow into' means to gradually develop or mature into a particular type of person or thing over time.
With hard work, he grew into a successful entrepreneur.
EN: In football (soccer) culture, the debate over the 'Greatest of All Time' (GOAT) is highly prominent. By winning eight Ballon d'Or awards and leading Argentina to a World Cup victory in 2022, Messi is widely regarded by many experts and fans as the greatest player not only of his generation but of all time.
EN: The Present Perfect Tense (has/have + past participle) is used here to describe an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past, with a strong connection to the present (his ongoing career and legacy).
She has written three best-selling novels during her career.
EN: The noun 'record' is used attributively before another noun phrase ('eight Ballon d'Or awards') to mean 'surpassing all others' or 'being the best/most ever achieved'.
The company reported a record profit this quarter.
EN: The 'Ballon d'Or' (Golden Ball) is an annual football award presented by French news magazine France Football since 1956. It is widely regarded as the most prestigious individual award for football players. Lionel Messi's record of winning it eight times (as of 2023) is an unprecedented achievement in football history, cementing his status as one of the greatest of all time.
EN: The Present Perfect Tense ('has scored') is used here to describe an action that started in the past and has relevance to the present, or to show cumulative life achievements up to the current moment.
She has written three books so far.
EN: 'More than' is a comparative prepositional phrase used before a number to mean 'over' or 'exceeding' a certain amount.
The stadium can hold more than 50,000 people.
EN: In football (soccer) culture, 'club and country' is a common phrase used to encompass a player's entire professional career, distinguishing between the professional clubs they are contracted to (like Barcelona or Inter Miami) and the national team they represent (like Argentina).
EN: Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle) is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. In this sentence, 'had waited' happened before the past action 'lifted'.
By the time the movie started, we had already bought our popcorn.
EN: Relative Clause with a Preposition at the End. The clause 'his country had waited thirty-six years for' modifies 'the trophy'. The relative pronoun 'which' or 'that' is omitted, and the preposition 'for' is left at the end of the clause.
This is the book I have been looking for.
EN: Argentina won its third World Cup title in Qatar 2022. The country's previous victory was in 1986, led by Diego Maradona. The 36-year wait created immense pressure and expectation for Lionel Messi, making the 2022 victory one of the most emotional and celebrated moments in football history.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
A substance made by the body that stimulates growth and cell reproduction.
To be extremely surprised by something that you see.
A small piece of paper used at a meal to wipe the fingers or lips.
To win a championship and raise the prize cup in celebration.