Football icon and Argentina captain Lionel Messi was reportedly the primary target of a chilling terror plot during the recent FIFA World Cup, according to a leaked police dossier.
The tournament was co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Spain lifting the trophy after defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final.
The leaked dossier reportedly detailed a series of threats targeting some of the tournament’s biggest stars and officials. In one incident, a man allegedly threatened to blow up Messi before Argentina’s match against Egypt.
“I’m going to walk into the Atlanta stadium and blow up Messi with four bombs stuck to my body,” he reportedly said.
During the same match, police received another call claiming that three bombs had been planted inside rubbish bins in the stadium stands. The suspected bomber allegedly threatened to attack police officers and players from both teams and made a “special mention” of killing Messi, according to The Sun.
In an earlier incident, ahead of Argentina’s match against Jordan, a man allegedly threatened to storm the stadium with two accomplices armed with hand grenades and a rifle.
Messi’s long-time rival and Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo also reportedly faced abuse and threats during the tournament. According to the leaked file, a FIFA employee told police that a suspicious individual had sought information about Ronaldo’s accommodation.
In a separate incident, a man claiming to be a fan of Ronaldo reportedly entered the player’s hotel and attempted to join him in a lift. He later told police that he had only wanted to take a selfie.
Other players who were threatened or harassed during the event included French talisman Kylian Mbappe, Norwegian player Alexander Sorloth, and Colombian player Jaminton Campaz.
According to the reports, a joint team from the FBI and the IPCC (Centre for International Police Cooperation) monitored high-level terror alerts, stalkers and violent threats directed at both players and their families.
