The FIFA World Cup: Money, Impact, and the Story of Andrés Escobar : The 2 Escobars Doc

PART 1 – WARM-UP DISCUSSION

Discuss in pairs:

  1. Why do countries want to host the World Cup?
  2. Do big sporting events help local people?
  3. What problems can large tournaments create?
  4. Have you ever heard of Andrés Escobar?
  5. Should football players be responsible for national expectations?

PART 2 – READING TEXT

The World Cup: Business, Celebration, and Tragedy

The FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Millions of fans travel to the host country, and billions watch the matches on television and online. Because of this, the tournament generates enormous amounts of money.

Host cities usually experience a huge increase in tourism. Hotels, restaurants, airlines, and local businesses often make large profits during the competition. Governments also invest heavily in infrastructure such as stadiums, roads, airports, and public transportation. For example, countries like Qatar, Brazil, and South Africa spent billions of dollars preparing for the event.

However, the World Cup can also create serious problems. Some cities enter into debt because construction projects are extremely expensive. In some countries, local people protested because governments spent money on football stadiums instead of schools or hospitals. Critics argue that the economic benefits are sometimes exaggerated.

One of the darkest stories connected to the World Cup happened in 1994. During the tournament in the United States, Colombian defender Andrés Escobar accidentally scored an own goal against the United States team. Colombia lost the match and was eliminated from the tournament.

At that time, Colombia was suffering from violence connected to drug cartels, illegal gambling, and organized crime. Many criminals had placed huge bets on football matches. After Escobar returned to Colombia, he was murdered outside a nightclub in Medellín.

The murder shocked the world. Investigations suggested that members of criminal gangs connected to gambling were responsible. Escobar became a symbol of how sport, money, pressure, and crime can become dangerously connected.

Today, many people remember Andrés Escobar not for the own goal, but for his honesty, professionalism, and calm personality. His death remains one of the most tragic moments in football history.

PART 3 – VOCABULARY MATCH

Match the words with the definitions.

Vocabulary Words

  1. tournament
  2. infrastructure
  3. profits
  4. debt
  5. exaggerated
  6. eliminated
  7. gambling
  8. cartel
  9. investigation
  10. pressure
  11. violence
  12. symbol

Definitions

a. money owed to another person or organization
b. strong physical force intended to hurt people
c. a competition with many teams or players
d. official examination to discover the truth
e. roads, airports, transport systems, etc.
f. money earned from business
g. stress caused by expectations or responsibility
h. removed from a competition
i. illegal or criminal business organization
j. betting money on games or events
k. represented as more important or bigger than reality
l. a person or thing representing an idea

PART 4 – SYNONYM MATCH

Match the words with similar meanings.

WordSynonym
1. enormousa. famous
2. hugeb. deadly
3. tragicc. massive
4. calmd. pressure
5. criminale. peaceful
6. benefitf. advantage
7. expectationg. giant
8. violenth. illegal
9. populari. sad
10. dangerousj. aggressive

PART 5 – COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

  1. Why does the World Cup generate so much money?
  2. Which businesses benefit from the tournament?
  3. Why do some people criticize World Cup spending?
  4. What happened to Andrés Escobar in 1994?
  5. How were gambling and organized crime connected to football?
  6. Why do many people still respect Escobar today?

PART 6 – SPEAKING ACTIVITY

Group Discussion

Topic:

“Should countries spend billions hosting sporting events?”

Students should discuss:

  • tourism
  • jobs
  • international image
  • debt
  • corruption
  • public services
  • security

Useful expressions:

  • “In my opinion…”
  • “I partly agree because…”
  • “One advantage is…”
  • “On the other hand…”
  • “The problem with that is…”

PART 7 – ROLE PLAY

Role Play 1 – Government Debate

Student A:

You are a government official who supports hosting the World Cup.

Explain:

  • economic benefits
  • tourism
  • international prestige
  • new infrastructure

Student B:

You are a citizen who opposes hosting the World Cup.

Explain:

  • debt
  • taxes
  • expensive stadiums
  • social inequality

Try to persuade each other.

Role Play 2 – TV Interview

Student A:

You are a journalist interviewing a football expert after the death of Andrés Escobar.

Ask questions about:

  • pressure on football players
  • gambling and organized crime
  • violence in Colombia
  • the effect on football culture

Student B:

You are the football expert.

Answer using detailed explanations and opinions.

PART 8 – CRITICAL THINKING

Discuss:

  1. Can sport unite people and also create violence?
  2. Why do fans sometimes put too much pressure on athletes?
  3. Should gambling on sports be more controlled?
  4. What lessons can society learn from the Andrés Escobar tragedy?

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