Police report reveals: man wanted to murder Lionel Messi in a brutal manner during the World Cup
A police report detailing security threats during the 2026 World Cup reveals that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were specific targets of violent threats. Authorities successfully intervened in several incidents, including bomb threats and stalking attempts.
Why it matters
The report highlights the extreme security challenges faced by high-profile athletes during major global sporting events.
Police report reveals: man wanted to murder Lionel Messi in a brutal manner during the World Cup World Cup L. Messi C. Ronaldo Lionel Messi received more death threats than any other footballer during the 2026 World Cup. That is according to Marca , which reviewed a large-scale American police report on the global finals tournament.
The Spanish sports newspaper says the American police report lists all the security threats faced by both the FBI and the IPCC during the World Cup won by Spain.
Marca also reveals a series of bizarre details. One man is said to have threatened to storm the stadium during the group-stage match between Jordan and Argentina with two others, armed with homemade bombs and an AR-15 rifle.
In that phone call, Messi was named as a specific target. The intention was to murder the Argentine superstar.
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