'Homemade bombs and an AR-15:' How an American plotted to kill Lionel Messi during the FIFA World Cup

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentine footballer Lionel Messi was reportedly the primary target of most of the threats against footballers, including an alleged plot to kill him.

The documents describe a series of incidents, including bomb threats, stalking cases, and online abuse of players, referees, and officials, as security agencies worked throughout the competition, Spanish newspaper Informacion.es reported on Friday (local time).

Citing a leaked police dossier, the report noted that during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) coordinated with the International Police Cooperation Center (IPCC), a joint security hub involving US federal agencies and law enforcement bodies from participating countries, including Spain. The centre kept track of terrorism alerts, threats against players, unruly fans, and other incidents that could pose a risk to the tournament.

Bomb threat against Messi: What we know

One of the most serious threats that emerged was ahead of Argentina's match against Jordan, when a man contacted Dallas airport and claimed that he and two others were on their way to the stadium carrying "homemade bombs and an AR-15" (a semi-automatic rifle). He said they planned to target "police officers and players from both teams," while the alleged attacker made "special mention of Lionel Messi."

Another threat against Messi was reported during the July 7 match between Argentina and Egypt. A user on X reportedly wrote, "I'm about to enter Atlanta's stadium and blow up Messi with four bombs strapped to my body." Separately, another man called the police and announced that he had left "three bombs" in as many trash cans in the stadium, prompting explosives specialists, canine handlers, and their K-9 agents to conduct thorough searches during and after the game.

Ronaldo and Mbappe also targeted

According to the documents, Cristiano Ronaldo was the player who was harassed the most. On June 14, a FIFA employee reported a "suspicious man" who asked for "details" regarding the Portuguese footballer's accommodations. The man, however, was arrested two days later by Houston police at the hotel where Ronaldo was staying with the team.

A similar incident occurred in Canada when the footballer was in the country. A fan reportedly tried to get into the elevator with the Portuguese star but was stopped and claimed that he only wanted to take a selfie with CR7.

Other incidents involving Ronaldo were recorded in Miami, where a man attempted to approach him, and during the Portugal-Croatia match, when a spectator wearing a Ronaldo shirt entered the pitch.

While Messi and Ronaldo were threatened and harassed throughout the tournament, several other players were also singled out over incidents or mistakes during matches. Kylian Mbappé, who was involved in a tense altercation with the Paraguayan goalkeeper, was later subjected to insults with "Xenophobic" motives, with a Paraguayan senator criticising him on social media.

Separately, a doll with the Real Madrid player's image "was burned and rebroadcast" on social media in the country on July 5 and 6.

Footballers harassed during FIFA World Cup

Players who made mistakes during the game reportedly received death threats, with one of the most serious cases involving Norwegian player Alexander Sorloth (of Atlético de Madrid) and his wife after he missed a goal-scoring opportunity.

Other players who were harassed included Colombian player Jaminton Campaz, who was threatened for missing a penalty and reportedly was not allowed to return to his country with his teammates.

The police also reported threats against French defender Lucas Digne, who committed a clear penalty against Lamine Yamal during the France-Spain match.

Apart from players, referees were also subjected to threats and harassment, with Frenchman François Letexier receiving over six thousand threatening messages on his personal WhatsApp, mostly from Egyptian nationals, after his controversial performance in the Argentina-Egypt match, which ended with the Argentine victory.

The incidents highlighted the range of security threats faced by players, officials, and referees during the tournament.