Argentine football icon Lionel Messi was reportedly the target of the most serious threats against footballers during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with a police dossier detailing alleged plans to attack him with explosives. The security reports also recorded threats against other players, officials and referees during the tournament.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Informacion.es, security agencies from the United States and participating countries worked through an FBI-coordinated network to monitor terrorism alerts, violent threats and suspicious activity throughout the tournament. The dossier reportedly identified Messi as the footballer who attracted the highest number of threats.
One of the most serious incidents emerged in Dallas, where Argentina played Jordan. A man reportedly contacted Dallas airport and claimed that he and two others were travelling towards the stadium carrying “homemade bombs and an AR-15”. The threat was directed at police officers and players from both teams, with Messi specifically mentioned.
The dossier also recorded another alarming threat ahead of Argentina’s match against Egypt in Atlanta. An X user allegedly threatened to enter the stadium and attack Messi with explosives strapped to his body.
WHAT WERE THE TERROR PLOTS AGAINST MESSI?
The threats against Messi went beyond online abuse, according to the police reports. In the Dallas incident, the caller reportedly claimed that he and two others were heading towards the stadium with homemade explosives and an AR-15, while specifically naming Messi among the targets.
Another threat emerged before Argentina’s match against Egypt in Atlanta, when an X user allegedly wrote that they were about to enter the stadium and attack Messi with four bombs attached to their body.
The security response was subsequently heightened. During the Atlanta match, police also received another call claiming that three bombs had been placed in separate bins inside the stadium. Explosives specialists, canine handlers and K-9 teams were deployed to search the venue.
The reports were compiled as part of an international security operation coordinated by the FBI and the Centre for International Police Cooperation, involving agencies and police forces from countries participating in the World Cup.
Messi’s status as one of the tournament’s biggest attractions made him a particular security concern, with authorities monitoring threats involving players, their families and tournament venues.
CRISTIANO RONALDO ALSO TARGETED
Messi was not the only global football superstar mentioned in the security reports.
Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly faced persistent harassment during the tournament. According to the dossier, a FIFA employee raised an alert on June 14 after noticing a suspicious man seeking information about the Portugal captain’s accommodation.
Houston police subsequently identified and arrested the man on June 16 at the hotel where Ronaldo was staying with the Portuguese squad.
The threats also extended to match officials. French referee Franois Letexier was reportedly subjected to more than 6,000 WhatsApp threats, highlighting the scale of abuse surrounding some of the tournament’s biggest matches.
The dossier offers a disturbing account of the security challenges surrounding the 2026 World Cup, where the enormous attention on football’s biggest names also created vulnerabilities that authorities had to closely monitor throughout the tournament.
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