A series of chilling security threats targeting Lionel Messi and other football figures during the 2026 FIFA World Cup has come to light through a leaked police dossier. According to reports based on documents from the International Police Cooperation Center coordinated by the FBI, the Argentina captain was the player who attracted the highest number of serious threats throughout the tournament hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Details of the Alleged Plots Against Messi
The dossier, reviewed by a Spanish outlet, outlines multiple high-priority alerts involving Messi. One of the most concrete threats emerged ahead of Argentina’s match against Jordan in Dallas. A man reportedly contacted Dallas airport and claimed that he and two other individuals were travelling to the stadium carrying “homemade bombs and an AR-15.” The caller stated an intention to attack police officers and players from both teams, while making special mention of Lionel Messi.
A second major alert was linked to Argentina’s July 7 encounter with Egypt in Atlanta. An individual posted on the social media platform X: “I’m going to walk into the Atlanta stadium and blow up Messi with four bombs stuck in my body.” During the same match, another person telephoned police and claimed to have left three bombs inside litter bins in the stadium stands. The dual alerts triggered a significant security response. Explosives specialists, canine handlers and K-9 units conducted a search of the venue.
These incidents positioned Messi as the primary focus of terror-related threats among footballers during the competition, according to the security reports.
Broader Pattern of Threats Across the Tournament
While Messi featured most prominently in the terror alerts, the dossier also recorded a wide range of other security concerns. Cristiano Ronaldo was described as the player subjected to the most harassment. In one reported case, a FIFA employee flagged a suspicious individual who had been asking for details about the Portugal captain’s accommodation.
Officials and match officials were not spared. French referee François Letexier, who officiated the Argentina-Egypt fixture, reportedly received more than 6,000 threatening messages on his personal WhatsApp account. Authorities extended police protection to his family in France as a precaution.
The reports indicate that threats and harassment extended to other players as well, though Messi remained the central figure in the most serious bomb-related alerts. Security agencies monitored a constant stream of online posts, telephone calls and suspicious behaviour throughout the month-long event.
How Security Agencies Responded
The threats were handled through a coordinated international framework. The International Police Cooperation Center, directed by the FBI and involving officers from participating countries including Spanish police representatives, tracked and assessed the alerts in real time. When specific claims of explosives or armed attacks surfaced, specialist teams were deployed to search venues and investigate the sources of the communications.
In the Atlanta case, the combination of the social-media post and the subsequent telephone call led to a visible security operation involving bomb-detection resources during an ongoing match. Similar protocols were activated in response to the Dallas airport call. The fact that the tournament proceeded without any of these alleged plots materialising points to the effectiveness of the monitoring and response systems put in place.
Context of a High-Profile Global Event
The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the first to be co-hosted by three nations and drew enormous global attention. High-profile players such as Messi, then in the later stages of his international career, naturally attracted intense public interest. The leaked dossier illustrates the darker side of that visibility: the volume and severity of threats that security services were required to manage behind the scenes.
Argentina’s path through the tournament placed Messi repeatedly in the spotlight, which appears to have correlated with the concentration of alerts around his matches. The documents do not suggest that any of the specific bomb plots succeeded or that explosives were recovered; rather, they record the nature of the claims and the operational responses they triggered.
Implications for Future Tournaments
The revelation of these threats underscores the complex security challenges facing organisers of major international sporting events. Online platforms, anonymous telephone calls and the sheer scale of public attention create multiple channels through which threats can be issued. The involvement of an FBI-led international centre reflects the recognition that no single nation can manage such risks in isolation.
For players, the reports highlight the personal cost of global stardom. Even as Messi and his teammates competed on the pitch, security teams were simultaneously assessing and neutralising claims of violence directed specifically at him. Similar pressures affected other high-profile participants and match officials.
Conclusion
The police dossier, as reported by Spanish media, paints a sobering picture of the security environment surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Lionel Messi emerged as the principal target of multiple alleged bomb threats, including claims of suicide devices and armed attacks on stadiums. Parallel alerts involving Cristiano Ronaldo, a match referee and other figures demonstrate that the problem was widespread. Through coordinated international policing, the threats were investigated and contained, allowing the tournament to continue. The documents serve as a reminder of the hidden protective work required to stage the world’s largest football event safely.
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