"I will blow up Messi with four bombs": The terror threats investigated during the World Cup

During the World Cup, the FBI operated the International Police Cooperation Center, where American security agencies and police representatives from participating countries worked together. The center monitored, among other things, terror threats, threats against players, violent fans, and incidents that could have compromised the security of the tournament.

According to an investigation by the Spanish group Prensa Ibérica, based on internal reports from the International Security Center operated by the FBI during the World Cup, Lionel Messi was the player against whom the highest number of threats were recorded during the World Cup.

One of the serious cases occurred ahead of the match between Argentina and Jordan in Dallas. A man called the city's airport and claimed that he and two other people were on their way to the stadium equipped with explosive devices and semi-automatic rifles. According to the security report, he threatened to harm "police officers and players of both teams," and even explicitly mentioned Messi.

Another incident was investigated ahead of the match between Argentina and Egypt on July 7 in Atlanta. A user on X wrote that he was "preparing to enter the stadium in Atlanta and blow up Messi with four bombs attached to his body."

Following the threats, the stadium was searched by bomb disposal experts and dog handlers with police dogs. During the match, a report was also received from a person who claimed to have planted three explosive devices in three trash cans at the stadium.

The reports also describe a series of harassment incidents surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo. On June 14, a FIFA official reported a suspicious person who asked detailed questions regarding the hotel where the Portuguese star was staying. Houston police located and arrested him two days later at the team's hotel. In another case in Toronto, a man was arrested who tried to enter an elevator together with Ronaldo and claimed that he just wanted to take a picture with him.

There were also reports of threats against Alexander Sørloth and his wife following a professional decision of his during a match, against Colombian player Jáminton Campaz following a miss, and against French national team defender Lucas Digne.

The most serious case in terms of the scope of threats, according to the cited reports, was that of French referee François Letexier. After the match between Argentina and Egypt, he reportedly received about 6,000 threatening messages to his personal WhatsApp, many of them from Egypt.

In addition, FIFA itself reported during the tournament that more than 1,000 serious threats found on social media were transferred to law enforcement authorities, so the scope of threats described in the investigation fits into a broader picture of security issues and harassment during the World Cup.