A US police security file has revealed the extent of the threats that accompanied the World Cup, highlighting the extraordinary measures taken to protect footballers, referees and organizers during the tournament.
According to documents published by The Sun, based on information from Informacion.es, the Argentina national team and Lionel Messi were among the main targets of the threats. Before the match against Jordan, a person called Dallas airport claiming that he would enter the stadium armed with two other people and attack the police and the players, also mentioning Messi as a target.
Another alert was registered before the Argentina-Egypt match, when a user on the social network X threatened to carry out an attack with explosives at the Atlanta stadium, while during the match, authorities also received a report of explosive devices in the stands. Police immediately activated anti-explosive units and specialized dogs, but the alerts turned out to be false.
Cristiano Ronaldo was also mentioned in the security reports. A FIFA employee reported that a person was seeking information about the Portuguese player's whereabouts, while a fan managed to enter the hotel where Ronaldo was staying and tried to approach him in the elevator. He was stopped by police and stated that he only intended to take a picture.
The pressure did not spare the referees either. Frenchman François Letexier received over 6,000 threatening messages on WhatsApp after the Argentina-Egypt match, while VAR referee Willy Delajod received death threats from angry fans.
Footballers have also been targeted. Norwegian striker Alexander Sorloth and his wife received threats after he failed to pass the ball to Erling Haaland in the quarter-final against England, while Colombian Jaminton Campaz was attacked on social media after missing a penalty. The report also recalls the tragic case of Andres Escobar, who was killed after scoring an own goal in the 1994 World Cup.
Other reported incidents include the burning of an effigy of Kylian Mbappe by fans in Paraguay, racist chants towards the French striker, increased security measures for the South Korean national team after their elimination from the tournament, and a security breach in the England camp, where a person entered the media center shouting.
According to reports, the World Cup is considered one of the most fortified tournaments in history, with an extensive security operation taking place in parallel with the spectacle on the field of play.
