Elisa Menendez
ISIS fanatics have threatened to behead Spain footballers Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup, in a series of distressing posters.
One photoshopped image shows the Barcelona and Real Madrid stars being pinned down by jihadists while they slit their throats on a pitch in a packed stadium.
The caption, âYour blood will fill the groundâ, featured below the shocking poster which shows the two best football players in the world in agony.
A second mocked-up image shows an extremist walking into a football stadium filled with thousands carrying what looks like a small bomb in his hand.
Above the scene a chilling message reads: âIslamic State â Fifa World Cup Russia 2018 â Victory will be oursâ.
Both of the sickening posters, released by a pro-ISIS group, brandish the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia logo.
It comes as Islamic extremists made similar threats earlier this year about the tournament, which kicks off in June.
This is not the first time Barcelona forward, Messi, has been the target.
Some months ago, an image was released of the Argentinian star in an orange prisoner-style jumpsuit, handcuffed and kneeling down in Moscowâs Luzhniki Stadium pitch, while an extremist holds him down.
The latest threat was revealed by Dark Web infiltrators, Sixgill â a cyber intelligence platform which tracks ISIS conversations.
Sixgill discovered the images on the app Telegram, which is commonly used by pro-ISIS groups.
It is expected hundreds of thousands of tourists will stay in St Petersburg for the duration of the tournament.
Iâm not sure why you feel the need to share these images. Obviously these psychos make the posters in an attempt to spread fear and it seems like youâre just giving them exactly what they want by writing an article about it.