Messi - Simple Past or Past Perfect

Wembley Stadium, London, 28^th May 2011, the 54^th minute of the Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United – and the ball, again, …………. (be) with Lionel Messi, this time about 25 metres from the United goal. United players …………. (be) sticking to him like limpets before, but now, losing concentration for a moment, they ……….. (give) him a couple of metres of space. They shouldn’t have: a dart forward, a fierce shot, and Messi ………….. (score) Barcelona’s crucial second goal in what would eventually be a 3–1 victory.  And so Messi ……………(win) his third Champions League winners’ medal, to add to two FIFA World Player of the Year awards. Not bad for someone still only 23 years old.

Most football experts say Messi has the potential to become the best footballer of all time – a title they usually give either to the Brazilian Pelé (who …………..(play) at the highest level from the late 1950s to the early 70s) or the Argentinian Diego Maradona (late 70s to mid-90s). Some have even suggested he is already the greatest ever.

As a boy in Argentina doctors …………….(diagnose) Messi with growth hormone deficiency and they ……………. (believe) he might not grow taller than 1.5 metres. His parents could not afford the expensive hormone treatment the doctors ………………. (recommend), so they desperately ……………….(hope) a major football club, seeing his potential, would sign him and agree to pay for it. That is exactly what ……………..(happen) when, in 2000, the 13-year-old Messi ……………..(fly) to Spain to have a trial with Barcelona. The coach watching the trial was so amazed that he ……………..(want) Messi to join the club immediately, but he ………………………. (not have) a contract for him to sign. In fact, he ………………(not even have) a piece of paper. The solution? Messi’s first contract with Barcelona was written on a napkin.