Argentina captain Lionel Messi reportedly faced threats of terror attacks during the recently concluded FIFA World Cup 2026, with some callers warning of a plot to kill the football great. He was among a long list of players who encountered menacing attempts at attacks during the tournament.
According to a Spanish newspaper, which cited a leaked police dossier, several cases of bomb threats, stalking, and online abuse were reported. One of the most serious incidents occurred ahead of Argentina's June 28 match against Jordan in Texas, when a man claimed to be heading towards the Dallas Stadium with bombs.
Threats to 'blow up' Messi
The man, who called the Dallas airport, said he and two others were carrying "homemade bombs and an AR-15" (a semi-automatic rifle) with an aim to target "police officers and players from both teams". The attacker made "special mention of Lionel Messi", Informacion.es quoted the police document.
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Another threat to "blow up" Messi was issued online during the July 7 match between Argentina and Egypt, with an X user writing, "I'm about to enter Atlanta's stadium and blow up Messi with four bombs strapped to my body."
{{/usCountry}}Another threat to "blow up" Messi was issued online during the July 7 match between Argentina and Egypt, with an X user writing, "I'm about to enter Atlanta's stadium and blow up Messi with four bombs strapped to my body."
{{/usCountry}}In yet another threat, issued on the same day, the police received a call from a man stating that he had placed "three bombs" in three trash cans in the stadium. The serious security threat led to a thorough search by explosives specialists, canine handlers and K-9 agents during and after the match.
Ronaldo, Mbappe other footballers targeted
Not just Messi, Portugual's Cristiano Ronaldo, French footballer Kylian Mbappe and referee Francois Letexier also became subjected to major harassment during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Ronaldo was reportedly harassed the most throughout the tournament with one man being arrested for seeking details of his accommodations in Houston while a fan tried to get into the elevator with him in Canada.
Kylian Mbappe came to be at the receiving end of "Xenophobic" insults after his intense confrontation with the Paraguayan goalkeeper. Paraguay fans also burnt an effigy of Mbappe after France knocked the country out of the world cup on July 4. Letexier was sent over 6,000 messages on his personal WhatsApp after Egypt lost to Argentina in a controversial Round of 16 match.
Norwegian player Alexander Sorloth (of Atlético de Madrid) and his wife received threats after he missed an opportunity to score a goal. Colombian player Jaminton Campaz and French defender Lucas Digne also faced threats over their game.
According to the police dossier, these incidents were tracked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in coordination with the International Police Cooperation Center (IPCC). The IPCC, which included US federal agencies and law enforcement authorities of the participating nations, was monitoring terrorism alerts, threats against players, unruly fans, and other such incidents.