专题13 卡塔尔世界杯与梅西等足球明星-备战2023高考英语阅读理解热点话题分类训练（高考模拟真题+名校最新真题）

备战2023高考英语阅读理解热点话题分类训练 (高考模拟真题+名校最新真题) 专题13 卡塔尔世界杯与梅西等足球明星 （2022春·湖北·高三校联考阶段练习）All about the FIFA World Cup: a thrilling festival of football Get ready for the spectacular sporting event with our fact-packed tournament guide. On 20 November, the FIFA World Cup tournament kicks off in Qatar. Around five billion football fans around the world are expected to watch live on TV as the best men’s teams battle it out for football’s ultimate prize. Who are some of the star players to watch? From Son Hueng-min to Gareth Bale, there will be more top talent on show than ever in this tournament. It’s the first time teams can take a squad of 26 players, rather than the usual 23. Sadly, it may be the last World Cup for two of the greatest players in the game: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s a chance for some fresh talent to shine, however: look out for younger players such as England’s Jude Bellingham, Germany’s Jamal Musiala and Pedri for Spain. Which teams will be at the World Cup? Thirty-two teams will compete for the trophy (奖杯). For the first time ever, Qatar will take part in the tournament. As hosts, they qualified automatically but the other 31 teams had to win a number of qualifying matches. The next World Cup in 2026 will be even bigger — forty-eight teams will be in competition. Which teams are the favourites to win? France is the current champion and one of the favourites to win again with a star-studded squad featuring strikers Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema. Other European teams hoping to do well include England, Germany, Portugal and Spain. Argentina, Brazil and Senegal are some of the strongest nations outside Europe. Wales is playing in its first World Cup since 1958, but Scotland and Northern Ireland did not qualify. How does the tournament work? The 32 teams have been drawn into eight groups of four. The teams in each group play each other once in a mini-league, and the top two from each group progress to the knockout stage. Teams must win that game,