A leaked police dossier has revealed the scale of security threats surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including alleged terror plots and death threats targeting some of the tournament’s biggest stars and match officials.
The United States (US) co-hosted the tournament alongside Mexico and Canada. Spain lifted the trophy after defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final.
According to recent reports, Argentina captain Lionel Messi was at the centre of several serious threats during the tournament. Ahead of Argentina’s group-stage match against Jordan, a man allegedly called Dallas Airport and threatened to storm the stadium with two accomplices armed with hand grenades and a rifle.
He allegedly vowed to attack police officers and players from both teams, while also issuing a death threat against Messi.
A similar incident occurred before Argentina’s match against Egypt. One suspect allegedly posted on X that he intended to enter Atlanta Stadium wearing explosives in an attempt to kill Messi.
“I’m going to walk into the Atlanta stadium and blowup Messi with four bombs stuck to my body,” the suspect allegedly wrote on X.
During the same match, police reportedly received another warning claiming three bombs had been planted inside rubbish bins in the stadium stands.
The alert triggered an extensive search involving bomb disposal experts and sniffer dogs, though no explosives were reported to have been found.
Cristiano Ronaldo was also the subject of security concerns, according to the leaked file. A FIFA employee reportedly informed authorities that a suspicious individual had asked for information about the Portuguese superstar’s accommodation.
In a separate incident, a fan allegedly entered Ronaldo’s hotel and attempted to join him in the lift before telling police he had only wanted to take a selfie.
Match officials also faced abuse, the report states. French referee François Letexier reportedly received more than 6,000 threatening WhatsApp messages following his decisions during the Argentina-Egypt match, while video assistant referee Willy Delajod was reportedly subjected to death threats from angry Egyptian supporters.
Players who missed crucial opportunities were also targeted, the dossier revealed. Norway striker Alexander Sorloth and his wife reportedly received death threats after he opted not to pass to Erling Haaland during the quarter-final against England, costing his team the match.
Colombia winger Jhon Jáminton Campaz also reportedly faced death threats after missing a penalty and was unable to travel back with the national team because of security concerns.
