According to Spanish newspaper MARCA, a US police report revealed several serious security threats during the 2026 World Cup. Among the most concerning incidents was an alleged suicide bomb plot targeting Lionel Messi, while Cristiano Ronaldo was reportedly “hunted” at the hotel where Portugal were staying.
Messi Received the Most Threats at the 2026 World Cup
“A US police report has revealed the security threats that the FBI and the IPCC (International Police Cooperation Center) were responsible for preventing during the World Cup, which Spain eventually won. One of the most serious cases was an alleged suicide attack plot to kill Messi, who received more threats than any other player during the tournament,” MARCA reported.
“I will blow Messi up with four bombs wrapped around my body,” read one serious threat against the Argentine star, according to the US police report.
Before Argentina’s group-stage match against Jordan, a man reportedly called Dallas airport and threatened to enter the stadium with two other people carrying homemade bombs and AR-15 rifles. According to MARCA, the caller also directly said that he wanted to kill Messi.
“The threats continued before Argentina’s round-of-16 match against Egypt. ‘I will enter the Atlanta stadium and blow Messi up with four bombs wrapped around my body,’ one of the suspects wrote on social media.
During the same match, police received another call claiming that three bombs had been placed inside trash cans in the stands. However, the warning turned out to be false after the entire stadium was searched with explosive-detection dogs,” MARCA added.
Security Incidents Involving Ronaldo
According to MARCA, “Ronaldo also faced a security incident at the hotel where the Portugal national team were staying. According to the police report, FIFA informed the FBI about ‘a suspicious man’ who was asking for ‘detailed information’ about Ronaldo’s location.
Two days later, Houston police found and arrested the man inside the hotel where Portugal were staying. Another person was also arrested in Toronto in a similar incident after trying to enter an elevator with Ronaldo. The individual later claimed that he only wanted to take a ‘selfie’ with CR7.”
6,000 Hateful Messages
Referees were also targeted with death threats during the tournament. French referee Francois Letexier reportedly received more than 6,000 hateful messages through his personal WhatsApp account after taking charge of the controversial match between Argentina and Egypt.
VAR referee Willy Delajod reportedly faced similar threats following the same match. Because of the serious messages they received, security around their homes and families in France had to be increased, MARCA added.
