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Leaked dossier: Messi top target of World Cup terror plots
A leaked police dossier from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, first reported by Spanish newspaper Informacion.es, reveals that Argentina captain Lionel Messi was the primary target of multiple terror threats during the…
The Story in Brief
A leaked police dossier from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, first reported by Spanish newspaper Informacion.es, reveals that Argentina captain Lionel Messi was the primary target of multiple terror threats during the tournament. Before Argentina's match against Jordan, a caller told Dallas airport he planned to enter the stadium with homemade bombs and an AR-15, making special mention of Messi. During Argentina's match against Egypt, an X user posted: 'I'm about to enter the Atlanta stadium and blow up Messi with four bombs strapped to my body.' Another caller claimed explosives were placed in bins around the stadium. Bomb disposal teams searched the venue but found nothing.
The joint security operation involving the FBI and international police monitored threats against players, referees and officials. Cristiano Ronaldo was also repeatedly targeted: a man tried to board a lift with him at a team hotel, and another entered the pitch during a match. French referee François Letexier received over 6,000 threatening WhatsApp messages. Kylian Mbappé faced xenophobic abuse and an effigy was burned. South Korea's entire squad needed a police escort after elimination. All threats were investigated, but no attack succeeded.
The Indian Opinion
The leaked dossier risks feeding a familiar cycle: breathless headlines about Messi and Ronaldo as targets, while the mundane reality is that most threats were hoaxes or idle fan behaviour. Yes, the sheer volume, bomb threats, stalking, abusive messages, is disturbing. But security agencies treat every tip seriously, and no attack materialised. The real test is not how many threats were made, but how many led to arrests or prosecutions. That number will separate genuine danger from noise.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
