England’s players were reportedly caught up in a bomb scare hours before their 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final against Argentina, after a security dog detected what appeared to be explosives on the team bus. A leaked security services report seen by Spanish newspaper Informacion says the alert was ultimately found to be a false alarm caused by an oil leak, but the incident formed part of a wider series of security threats monitored by US authorities during the tournament.
England team bus triggers explosives alert
According to Informacion, the incident occurred before England’s semi-final against Argentina in Atlanta on July 15, a match the Three Lions eventually lost 2-1 after taking the lead.The leaked report described the incident as one of the most concerning security alerts of the tournament. A police dog handler reportedly marked an area of the England team bus as positive for explosives after authorities received a claim that a bomb had been placed on board.The report stated: “The most concerning occurred when someone claimed there was a bomb on the bus transporting the England team to play the semi-final against Argentina.”
England’s Ollie Watkins (19) and Harry Kane (9) lead the team onto the pitch for warmups before the World Cup third-place playoff soccer match between France and England in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A second canine subsequently checked the area and contradicted the initial indication. Authorities then determined that the positive reading had been caused by a mechanical problem involving an oil leak, rather than an explosive device.The Daily Express reported the details from the leaked security material, quoting the report as saying: “A canine agent (K-9) marked an area of the bus as positive for explosives. Another four-legged agent later corrected it. It was a false alarm caused by a mechanical failure involving an oil leak, according to the reports.”
Wider threats were monitored during the tournament
The England bus scare was among a wider collection of threats and security incidents documented during the World Cup, with the FBI and the multi-agency IPCC command post coordinating international law-enforcement efforts.The leaked material also detailed a threat against FIFA president Gianni Infantino. According to Informacion, an X user threatened to attack Infantino’s home if controversial hydration breaks continued to be used during World Cup matches. The FBI was reportedly made aware of the threat, although the reports did not establish what action was taken in response.The documents also included threats involving US President Donald Trump. Informacion reported that, on June 22, an individual published an AI-generated video depicting a Trump lookalike playing football against a supposed Lebanese national team while wearing an Israel shirt.According to the Spanish newspaper, drones appeared in the video and dropped explosives on the players, with the Trump lookalike shown dying in the attack before images depicted a young man wearing a Palestinian scarf.
Messi and Ronaldo were also targeted
The latest details follow earlier reports about threats directed towards some of the World Cup’s biggest football stars.Informacion previously reported that Lionel Messi was the target of an alleged suicide-bomb threat. Before Argentina’s match against Egypt, an individual reportedly wrote on social media: “I’m going to walk into the Atlanta Stadium and blow up Messi with four bombs stuck to my body.”Another man was also reported to have called Dallas airport before Argentina’s group-stage match against Jordan, claiming that he and two accomplices were heading to the stadium with “home-made bombs and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.” The reported threats prompted bomb specialists and sniffer dogs to search the stadium.Cristiano Ronaldo was also reportedly the subject of security concerns. According to the leaked reports, a FIFA employee alerted authorities after a “suspicious man” was asking for “details” about the Portugal captain’s World Cup accommodation.Another alleged incident involved a fan who entered Ronaldo’s hotel and attempted to get into an elevator with him before being detained. The man reportedly told authorities that he only wanted a selfie with the footballer.
