ISIS threatens Lionel Messi in terrifying poster ahead of Russia 2018 World Cup

Hours after The Best FIFA Awards, ISIS released a terrifying poster which shows football legend and Argentina captain Lionel Messi crying blood. The poster was reportedly published by a pro-ISIS media group.

The poster, discovered by thinktank SITE Intelligence Group showed a picture of Messi behind bars with the message: “You are fighting a state that does not have failure in its dictionary.”

The poster appropriates Nike’s tagline Just Do It and replaces it with ‘Just Terrorism’. ISIS had also threatened the 2016 Euros in France and 2017 Women’s European Championship but both events were unaffected by any act of terrorism.

In 2015, ISIS members had set of a series of bombs around Paris, including outside the Stade De France where the French national team were playing Germany. Earlier, also the terror group had targeted the upcoming tournament in Russia.

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

The message warned of terror strikes during the FIFA event scheduled for next summer. The message, a photoshopped image carrying the warning, was widely shared on pro-ISIS groups through encrypted messaging application Telegram, according to British newspapers. The message was an image showing the Russia 2018 logo hijacked by a gun-wielding ISIS fighter while a lighted bomb also features in the picture.

ISIS had claimed responsibility for carrying out a major bomb blast in one of Russia's largest cities St Petersburg just a few months ago. As many as 14 people were killed in the April 2017 attack. ISIS has said that it was in retaliation to Russian airstrikes in Syria earlier this year.

#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