Lionel Messi is the greatest living football player. He might be the best ever to have played the world’s most popular game. He led Argentina to a World Cup win in 2022.

Last spring, Messi finished the 2022–23 season in France. He played for Paris Saint-Germain. As his contract with that team neared its end, fans wondered where he’d go next. Would he return to Barcelona? That team signed him when he was a 13-year-old soccer phenom. Or would he join other soccer superstars in a new league in Saudi Arabia? “I had several options,” he says. “I had to analyze them.” Messi shocked the globe by announcing in June 2023 that he would sign with Inter Miami.

American audiences are eager to see Messi play, whether live or on TV. On July 21, 2023, he made his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut. It was for the last-place U.S. team, Inter Miami. In the final seconds, Messi got a free kick. He placed the ball on the grass. Celebrities were in the crowd. But no eyes were on them. Messi kicked the ball. It curved around the opposing players. It sailed past the arms of the goalkeeper. It flew into the net. Game over! Inter Miami had won. But Inter Miami did not make last season’s playoffs. The team was too far behind before Messi arrived. Even so, the Messi effect is at its peak. 

The U.S. is a host of the 2026 World Cup. The U.S. team is thought to be a strong contender (竞争者). With the attention Messi has brought to the sport, America should do well against the world’s best for decades to come. “This is one of those big tipping (预言…获胜) moments,” says Dan Hunt. He’s president of the MLS team FC Dallas. “Our player pool from ages 17 to 35 is the greatest player pool we’ve ever had in the history of U.S. soccer. If you think about our player pool from ages 0 to 16, it’s going to be twice as good, because we have Messi inspiring them.”

1.Which of the following statements is NOT true about Lionel Messi?

A He participated in World Cup for Argentina.

B He played for Paris Saint-Germain in 2022.

C He once played for Saudi Arabia for long.

D He is now playing in Inter Miami.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第二段中的“Or would he join other soccer superstars in a new league in Saudi Arabia?”可知，沙特阿拉伯的球队对于梅西来说是新的，即他从未在沙特阿拉伯效力过。因此C项不正确；其他选项均能在第一二段中找到来源。故选C。

2.What does the underlined word “debut” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A Design.

B Appearance.

C Understanding.

D Attention.

解析：选B。B 词义猜测题。根据前一句“American audiences are eager to see Messi play, whether live or on TV. ”以及后面的“In the final seconds, Messi got a free kick. ”可知，本段描述梅西美国职业足球大联盟迈阿密国际队进行第一次比赛时的情况，所以划线词指的是“出现、亮相”之意。故选B。

3.What’s the last paragraph mainly about?

A The future of the U.S. team.

B The average age of the U.S. team.

C The disadvantages of the U.S. team.

D The importance of the U.S. team.

解析：选A。A 段落大意题。本段主要描述了迈阿密国际队有了梅西加盟后的未来发展情况。故选A。

4.Where would this text be least likely to appear?

A In a celebrity website.

B In a biography.

C In a sports magazine.

D In a novel.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。本文主要介绍了最伟大的足球运动员梅西的相关情况，结合选项可知，文章不可能会出现在一本小说中。故选D。