Shadowing Practice: "BEST SPORTSMAN EVER!" talkSPORT DEBATE if Lionel Messi is the GREATEST Sportsman in HISTORY! - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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as some of the big-name superstars arrived at the World Cup.
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First, Kylian Mbappe scored twice against Senegal as he became France's all-time top goalscorer.
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Then Erling Haaland scored his first two World Cup goals in Norway's 4-1 win over Iraq.
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And then in the early hours of the morning, Lionel Messi outdid himself and scored a hat-trick against Algeria to become the joint top goalscorer in World Cup history.
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Thierry Henry joined our friends over at Fox News and was full of praise for Lionel Messi.
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Listen, we said before the game that this guy and the guy we're going to see tomorrow, they're both on the moon.
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And he reminded us why he is who he is.
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And Argentina also reminded us that they are the holders.
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Let's not forget about them.
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But Leo is just different.
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It's just a different topic.
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So as you will say, when you give the back to the break or whatever, like, Chris and Ronaldo, Hurricane, over to you.
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killing Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi all turned up last night.
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Wasn't it great to see him in full effect?
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Darren?
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Yeah, we've had this discussion before.
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I knew Mbappe.
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World Cups is different.
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He just turns into a different animal, different beast.
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And second half, because it was a bit flat the first half, wasn't it?
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But second half, when they upped the levels, you saw what they are capable of, France.
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That's why I still make them the favourites.
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messi was the one i i don't know why i'm surprised at what happened
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because we know how great he is we know how good
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he is i mean the last finish was beautiful into the bottom corner
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but i was still when i looked at it smiling watching it
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because and listen we know he's got great quality we know he's the greatest of all time
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but for him to still be doing
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that at the world cup well the eyes of the world
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are on him i thought it was incredible it was it
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was an absolute joke to be honest yeah It was an absolute joke
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because you have to look at some of the narratives
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that actually start to form around Lionel Messi because we're quick to forget them.
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After 2022, he's won the World Cup now on the way down.
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Yeah.
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Go and play with Beckham's team on the way down out there.
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When you think about it, all we're talking about is Lissé best player in the world.
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You know, Dembele's got the Ballon d'Or, Mbappe, this, that and the other.
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He's still the best player in the world.
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Yeah.
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No, do you understand that Lionel Messi, I think now from seeing that And actually when I'm thinking about he's been playing in the heat, he's been playing in the heat this whole time.
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Yeah, this type of tournament, actually, when you look at that team as well, it suits him.
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And I think actually he's going to reinstate himself
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or actually we should never have even thought he wasn't as the best player in the world.
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To do this a week shy of his 39th birthday.
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It's a joke.
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It's incredible, isn't it?
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It's an absolute joke what he's done.
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And I think that actually the conversation, I think we need to move on.
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I think he's the best sportsman ever across all sports because you know why, if you look at the fields that he's topping within his respective sport
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He's killing it for the most in history of almost every
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metric most Ballon d'Or's most goals scored even at tournaments most goals scored for a club
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He's got the most amount of assists.
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Yeah, he's World Cup top goals going
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So if you want to talk about people like I don't know Michael Jordan got six rings.
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Yeah, let's look at that.
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Yeah, that's great Look at obviously Lewis Hammond, look at Muhammad Ali, look at Tiger Woods.
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Ali's the one, I don't think you're gonna get anyone put him above Ali.
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Just because of what...
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But we're talking about obviously the stuff that's happened outside the boxing ring.
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What it stands for, who he is.
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That's why it's difficult to put Messi above him.
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But as a sportsman...
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And it was so poetic the way that he did it.
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20 years to the day since he made his debut at a World Cup for Argentina.
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He's played over 200 games for Argentina.
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It's unreal, isn't it?
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It does help him though as well.
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Stupid numbers, mate.
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When you watch Argentina, right, And this is why you have to give credit to Argentina, the rest of the squad.
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They do what he's running for him.
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And they're more than happy to do all of the running for him.
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But not only that as well, the moment they get into that attack in third, there's no ego.
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Where is he?
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Where's Messi?
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Just give it to him.
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Just give it to him.
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I think that obviously will help prolong his kind of longevity.
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But I just think he's top.
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Do you want to play a game?
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Just before we break, do you want to play a game to just demonstrate the brilliance of this man?
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Yeah.
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How many career hat-tricks do you think Lionel Messi has?
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I think he has...
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68. It's a great guess.
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61. 61 times he has scored a hat-trick.
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I was reading something today.
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Goals and assists combined.
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He's got over, like, 1,300.
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It's the most in the history of the sport.
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No, he is...
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This is the sort of thing we're talking about with him.
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Yeah.
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He is absolutely unreal.
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So any go debates, like, listen, I'm a Man United fan, I love...
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Do you think he's the greatest of all time?
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There's no that what we need to start doing is not mentioning people alongside him.
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Let's leave Messi where he is And the others can debate.
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Let's break it down, 100%.
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Yeah, I completely agree with that.
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What we want to do though is we want to hear from you on this.
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We want to hear from your voice notes.
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Will you do us a favor get them in via WhatsApp on 03717 223344.
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That's 03717 223344.
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Just send us a short voice note on who you think the best player at the World Cup is
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and Just make sure that you tell us your name.
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Otherwise, we won't be able to credit you.
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We'll be playing a lot of them out a bit later in the show.
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That was a round-up of all the latest World Cup action on TalkSport, brought to you by Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
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They're here for it.

Context & Background

The debate surrounding whether Lionel Messi is the greatest sportsman in history continues to captivate audiences worldwide. In a recent talkSPORT discussion, speakers celebrated Messi's remarkable performance in the World Cup, where he scored a hat-trick against Algeria, solidifying his reputation as one of football’s finest players. In addition to Messi's achievements, the conversation highlighted contemporaries like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, emphasizing the competitive nature of sports today. The speakers shared their admiration for Messi's skills,, discussing how his ability to perform on such a grand stage, even as he nears his 39th birthday, reiterates his status as an unparalleled athlete. This dialogue serves as a fresh perspective on Messi's enduring excellence and opens avenues for English learners to engage with sports-related discussions.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "He outdid himself." - Used to express someone exceeding their previous accomplishments.
  • "Turned into a different animal." - Referring to someone performing exceptionally well, especially under pressure.
  • "Just a different topic." - Used to signify that a subject is unique or incomparable.
  • "It's an absolute joke." - A phrase expressing amazement at someone's impressive skills.
  • "Has to be the best player in the world." - A strong assertion supporting someone's supremacy in their field.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To master the phrases from this lively debate, consider using a shadowing app to enhance your English speaking practice. Here’s a structured approach to tackle the transcript's content for your learning:

  1. Listen Actively: Begin by watching the video carefully. Pay close attention to the pronunciation and intonation of each speaker.
  2. Repeat in Real-Time: As they speak, try to echo what you hear—this is known as shadow speech. Focus on imitating the rhythm and emotion behind the words.
  3. Break it Down: Take short clips of a few sentences at a time. Practice them repeatedly before moving on to the next segment. This is particularly useful for phrases like "turned into a different animal."
  4. Record Your Voice: Use your smartphone to record yourself. Compare your speech to the original, noting differences in pronunciation and tone.
  5. Engage in Dialogue: To further your IELTS speaking practice, try using the learned phrases in conversations with friends or language partners. Discuss sports or any interests related to competition.

Consistent practice with these techniques will not only improve your English speaking skills but also deepen your understanding of sports culture and famous figures like Lionel Messi.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.