On 27 June, hours before Argentina played Jordan in Dallas, a man telephoned Dallas airport with a terrifying warning.
He claimed that he and two accomplices were travelling towards the stadium carrying homemade bombs and an AR-15. They planned to attack police officers and players from both teams, he said, singling out Lionel Messi. Argentina nevertheless played that evening, beating Jordan 3-1 in their final group match.
Ten days later, another threat appeared before Argentina faced Egypt in Atlanta. An account on X claimed its owner was about to enter the stadium with four bombs strapped to his body and kill Messi. During the match on 7 July, police received a separate telephone warning that three bombs had been placed inside rubbish bins in the stadium. Explosives officers and detection dogs searched the venue. They found nothing.
The incidents became public one month later.
The headlines immediately became fantastical.
US Stopped Multiple Plots to Assassinate Lionel Messi During the …
