Suicide Bomber Targeted Messi, Intrusion at Ronaldo
A confidential police file has revealed the scale of threats that accompanied the World Cup, from terrorist plots to death threats against the biggest stars and referees.
A confidential police file has revealed the scale of threats that accompanied the World Cup, from terrorist plots to death threats against the biggest stars and referees.
A leaked US police security file has exposed the alarming scale of threats that marked the recent World Cup. According to the document reported by the British The Sun and the website Informacion.es, and relayed by Goal.com, the Argentine national team and its biggest star, Lionel Messi, were at the center of terrorist plots, while Cristiano Ronaldo was not spared security breaches either.
Before the match between Argentina and Jordan, a man called Dallas airport and threatened an attack on the stadium. He claimed he would storm the stadium with two accomplices armed with hand grenades and an AR-15 rifle, threatening police and players from both teams, specifically singling out Messi as a target.
A similar scenario unfolded ahead of Argentina's match against Egypt. One suspect wrote on platform X that he would enter the stadium in Atlanta and detonate himself with four bombs strapped to his body, all to target the Argentine footballer. During that same match, police received another tip about three bombs placed in trash cans in the stands, triggering a massive search involving explosives experts and detection dogs.
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo also faced disturbing incidents. A FIFA employee reported a suspicious man inquiring about details of Ronaldo's accommodation. In a separate event, a fan entered the player's hotel and tried to get into the elevator with him, later telling police he just wanted a selfie.
Referees also came under heavy fire. French referee François Letexier received more than 6,000 threatening messages via WhatsApp after his decisions in the Argentina-Egypt match, while video referee Willy Delajod was the target of death threats from furious Egyptian fans.
Fan anger did not spare players who missed key chances. Norwegian international Alexander Sørloth and his wife received death threats after he failed to pass the ball to Erling Haaland in the quarterfinal against England. Colombian Jhon Jáminton Campaz faced the same fate after a missed penalty and could not return with his national team. These events echo the murder of Colombian defender Andrés Escobar in 1994, who was killed after scoring an own goal.
In Paraguay, fans burned an effigy of Kylian Mbappé after their defeat to France, and he was also subjected to racist chants, including an attack by a Paraguayan senator. The South Korean national team received enhanced protection after being eliminated in the group stage, and their coach Hong Myung-bo became a target of public anger that prompted police to investigate the procedures of his appointment.
Serious security challenges also affected media centers. The English media center suffered a security breach when a man with a key entered shouting. Afterward, the center was turned into a fortress, surrounded by three security cordons, concrete barriers, and anti-sniper screens. A no-fly zone was introduced to prevent drone attacks, and the entire area was under heavy armed police protection. All of this has been described as the most fortified World Cup ever held.
