Police authorities have reportedly uncovered an alleged plot to assassinate Argentina captain Lionel Messi during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Spanish newspaper MARCA reported on Saturday that Messi faced several threats during the tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
According to the report, one of the threats came shortly before Argentina’s Round of 16 match against Egypt, when a suspect allegedly posted on social media: “I’m going to blow up Messi with four bombs strapped to my body.”
The threat reportedly triggered a security sweep of the Atlanta stadium with sniffer dogs after authorities received information that explosives had been hidden in bins around the venue.
No explosives were found, and the alert was later declared a false alarm, MARCA reported.
Another threat allegedly emerged before Argentina’s group-stage match against Jordan.
A man reportedly called Dallas airport claiming that he and two accomplices were heading to the stadium with homemade bombs and an AR-15 rifle, naming Messi as their target.
MARCA also reported that Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was the subject of separate threats during the tournament, leading to the arrest of several suspects.
The report said the FBI and other international security agencies worked together throughout the World Cup to monitor and neutralise threats against high-profile players.
There was no report that Messi was attacked or that any of the alleged plots was successfully carried out.
