In October 2017, ISIS began a World Cup security threat campaign with a series of terrorist messages. In addition to issuing scary threats, the organization also borrowed the images of famous football stars to illustrate.
The reason for Syria's target is because in August 2017, the country's military launched a series of missile airstrikes directly targeting the terrorist group's saute in Syria. Russia's bombing was believed to be in retaliation for ISIS after it directly participated in the horrific metro bombing in St. Peterburg in April 2017.
Messi, Coach Deschamp, Ronaldo and Neymar are the ones that ISIS used to image in brutal photos. Recently, when the Russian presidential election had just ended for 2 days, ISIS continued to threaten Bach Duong when sending a picture of Messi on the Luzhniki pitch. Next to Messi was a masked shooter with a time bomb.
The concern about terrorism comes at a time when the 2018 World Cup is only 3 months away from taking place. In the past, no world football festival has been placed in a red alert for security like the tournament in Russia this summer.
President Vladimir Putin affirmed that if ISIS or any organization caused disorder and left behind disaster in Russia during the 2018 World Cup, he would level their territory in just half an hour anywhere in the world.
