Lionel Messi, captain of the Argentine national team, received two concrete death threats during the 2026 World Cup.
Modern.az reports that the Spanish publication “Marca” wrote about this, citing information reportedly leaked from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the information, both threats mentioned the use of bombs. One of the threats also claimed that firearms would be used.
The International Police Cooperation Center (IPCC), established in the US for the 2026 World Cup, reacted to security threats against several star footballers of the tournament. According to the documents, Messi was the target of concrete threats twice, more than any other player.
It is reported that before the Argentina-Jordan group stage match (3:1) in Dallas on June 27, a suspicious person called the airport in the major Texas city.
According to “Marca”, the caller claimed that he, along with two other people, would attack the stadium and that they had bombs and AR-15 type rifles. He stated that his goal was to kill Messi.
Ten days later, before the Argentina-Egypt match (3:2), a suspicious person allegedly shared a new threat against Messi on social media.
Police documents also note that during that game, another person reportedly stated that he had placed three bombs in trash cans in the stands. Immediately after the incident, no explosive devices were found during a search conducted with service dogs.
