Spanish media: Messi received the most threats during the World Cup, with multiple people threatening bomb attacks.

According to a World Cup police report exclusively obtained by the Spanish newspaper El Diario, Messi was the player who faced the most threats before and during the match.

During the World Cup, the FBI coordinated with the International Police Cooperation Center (IPCC), a center comprised of U.S. federal security agencies and police forces from participating countries (including Spain), to track terrorist alerts, threats against players, violent fans, and any events that could potentially impact the tournament. The Spanish newspaper El Diario's investigation and events channel exclusively obtained the daily reports compiled by this police command center.

An IPCC report confirmed that Messi was the target of most threats against players. The most specific threat came from a man who called Dallas Airport claiming that he and two others were heading to the city's stadium with "homemade bombs and an AR-15 rifle" to attack "police and players from both teams," specifically mentioning Messi. Before another Argentina vs. Egypt match, a social media user posted: "I'm about to enter Atlanta Stadium and blow Messi up with four bombs strapped to my body." During the match, another man called the police claiming that "three bombs" had been placed in three trash cans at the stadium; explosives experts, police dogs, and handlers subsequently searched the stadium.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the most frequently stalked player. On June 14, a FIFA employee reported a "suspicious man" inquiring about Ronaldo's accommodation details. Houston police arrested him at the hotel where Ronaldo was staying on June 16. Another man was arrested in Toronto for a similar incident when he tried to approach Ronaldo in an elevator, claiming he only wanted a photo. There have also been attempts to approach Ronaldo in Miami; during the Portugal vs. Croatia match, a man wearing a Ronaldo jersey rushed onto the field.

Following a clash between Kylian Mbappé and the Paraguayan goalkeeper during a match, police reported that he was subjected to xenophobic abuse, with a Paraguayan female senator even criticizing him on social media. Between July 5th and 6th, a Mbappé doll was burned in Paraguay and circulated on social media.

Players who made mistakes during matches also received death threats. One of the most serious cases involved Norwegian striker Sørloth (Atlético Madrid) and his wife after he missed a golden opportunity. Colombian player Campas was threatened with being barred from returning home with his team after the World Cup due to a missed penalty. Police reports also documented threats received by French defender Digne after conceding a penalty to Yamal FC during France's match against Spain.

The entire South Korean team received death threats after being eliminated in the first round and were "escorted to the airport by a large number of police officers".

The most serious threats targeted referees—French referee Letsier received "6,000 threatening WhatsApp messages" after his controversial decisions in the Argentina vs. Egypt match, mostly from Egyptian fans. The anger of Egyptian fans even extended to the VAR assistant referee of the match, also from France, De La Rode, who also received death threats. Police reports indicate that security has been increased and police escorts are being provided to the two referees' residences and families in France because their addresses were exposed on social media.