The 2018 World Cup has received chilling threats from ISIS, with only a year left before the tournament kicks off. The terrorist group have sent out pictures which hint at attacks on the tournament in Russia.
Lionel Messi features in one of those pictures, as the Argentine is seen behind bars wearing a prisoner’s uniform with his name on it. Furthermore, the five time Ballon d’Or winner is seen crying blood.
The picture came courtesy of pro-ISIS media unit Wafa' Foundation, as stated in a tweet by SITE – a group which monitors online activity from extremists. "You are fighting a state that does not have failure in its dictionary” is also seen in the picture, with “just terrorism” captioned at the bottom.
Pro-#ISIS media unit Wafa' Foundation continues to threaten 2018 FIFA #WorldCup, this time using an image of #LionelMessi in a prison outfit pic.twitter.com/isB8RDKYAK
— SITE Intel Group (@siteintelgroup) October 24, 2017
Sadly, these weren’t the only images to surface in regards to the World Cup’s security. In another one, a militant with a bomb can be seen, carrying a rifle whilst glancing at a stadium with the caption "the mujahideen's fire will burn you".
According to Rita Katz, the head of the extremist monitoring website, the World Cup in Russia is “a recurring topic among ISIS supporters". The hosts, however, have promised top-notch security.
#FIFA18 a recurring topic among #ISIS supporters, w chatter & graphics threatening "enemies of Allah in #Russia"https://t.co/MfmbizGUyg pic.twitter.com/CqoEROGfjB
— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) October 24, 2017
This will still be worrying for Russia, FIFA, the participating nations, and the fans. A competition of the World Cup’s status and popularity could lead to high casualties should it suffer a disgusting attack.
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