Messi faced bomb and shooting threats during World Cup
Lionel Messi was the target of more threats than any other player during the World Cup, including a warning that three men carrying homemade bombs and an AR-15 were headed to one of Argentina’s matches, according to internal security reports obtained by a Spanish news outlet.
The internal reports have not been officially released to the public but were obtained by Spanish news outlet Información.es.
They were prepared daily by the International Police Cooperation Center (IPCC), a command center coordinated by the FBI and staffed by U.S. federal agencies and police from participating countries during the tournament.
The most specific threat against Messi came when a man called an airport in Dallas and said he and two other people were heading to the stadium where Argentina was playing Jordan.
The caller said they were carrying “homemade bombs and an AR-15” and planned to attack police officers and players from both teams, making a “special mention of Lionel Messi,” according to the reports.
Argentina’s match against Egypt in Atlanta on July 7 was targeted by multiple threats. One person wrote on X that he was about to enter the stadium and “blow up Messi with four bombs attached to my body.”
During the match, another man called police and claimed to have placed three bombs in trash cans around the stadium. Bomb technicians and K-9 teams searched the venue.
French referee François Letexier received the largest number of threats recorded against any individual after officiating the Argentina-Egypt match. The reports said about 6,000 threatening messages were sent to his personal WhatsApp account, most of them from Egyptian nationals.
Willy Delajod, the French video assistant referee for the match, was also threatened with death. Police increased security at both referees’ homes and provided protection for their families after their addresses were shared online.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the player most frequently targeted by people attempting to approach him. On June 14, a FIFA employee reported a suspicious man who was seeking details about where the Portuguese player was staying. Houston police identified and arrested the man at Ronaldo’s hotel two days later.
Another man was arrested in Toronto after attempting to enter an elevator with Ronaldo. He told police that he only wanted to take a selfie. Two other incidents were recorded in Miami and during Portugal’s match against Croatia, when a man wearing a Ronaldo jersey ran onto the field.
Kylian Mbappé became the target of xenophobic abuse after a tense encounter with Paraguay’s goalkeeper. On July 5 and 6, people in Paraguay burned an effigy of Mbappé and broadcast the act on social media, according to the reports.
Norway’s Alexander Sorloth and his wife received death threats after he missed a clear scoring opportunity. Colombia’s Jaminton Campaz was threatened after missing a penalty and was unable to return home with the rest of the team after the tournament.
French defender Lucas Digne was also threatened after conceding a penalty against Lamine Yamal during the France-Spain match.
South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo and the entire national team required a large police escort to the airport after receiving death threats following their elimination in the first round.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
