Bomb attack against Messi, break-in at Ronaldo's hotel... The threats that hung over the 2026 World Cup (FBI)

While the 2026 World Cup ended on July 19, a report consulted this Friday by several Spanish media outlets details the numerous threats that weighed on the event, including a bomb attack that targeted Lionel Messi.

According to a report by the International Police Cooperation Centre (IPCC) run by the FBI, which several Spanish media were able to consult on Friday, August 7, 2026, many tragedies were avoided during the 2026 World Cup, which ended on July 19 with a victory for Spain against Argentina (1-0).

In fact, Lionel Messi could have missed the match. On June 28, a man called Dallas airport to announce that he and two other people were heading to AT&T Stadium, the stadium where the Argentina-Jordan match was being played, armed with "homemade bombs and an AR-15 rifle."

Bomb attack against Lionel Messi

The suspects claimed they were going to attack "police officers and players from both teams," while making a "special mention of Lionel Messi."

Another Albiceleste match was also the subject of threats: Argentina-Egypt, on July 7 in Atlanta. On X, a user wrote that he was "preparing to enter the Atlanta stadium and blow up Messi with four bombs planted in" his body.

A threat taken very seriously, which required the intervention of several explosives specialists and dog handlers to search the stadium, especially since another man had called the police claiming that he had left "three bombs" in the stadium's trash cans.

Intrusion into Cristiano Ronaldo's hotel

But Lionel Messi wasn't the only target during this World Cup. His long-time rival was also targeted. A FIFA employee reported a "suspicious man" on June 14th, demanding "details" about Cristiano Ronaldo's accommodations. He was identified and arrested by Houston police two days later in the same hotel as the Portuguese star.

Later in the competition, in Toronto, Canada, a fan tried to get into an elevator with Cristiano Ronaldo. When he was arrested, he admitted he only wanted to take a selfie with the footballer.

However, football stars weren't the only potential victims. According to El Periódico , a man in his fifties was caught repeatedly asking, in a hotel, where the Princess of Asturias, Leonor de Borbón y Ortiz, was. After several reports, the man was finally arrested. The investigation revealed that the suspect, who is not Spanish, suffered from mental illness and that he urgently wanted to see King Felipe VI's eldest daughter because he was going to "marry her."