ISIS Releases Threat Against Lionel Messi and Neymar

Two of the biggest soccer stars in the world are the target of a new threat from ISIS ahead of the World Cup this summer in Russia. Per AS, Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar appear in a photoshopped image released by the terrorist group this week. Neymar is shown kneeling in the desert next to a figure dressed in black, while Messi is lying on the ground next to an ISIS flag. The image is accompanied by a caption that reads, "You will not enjoy security until we live it in Muslim countries."

This is just the latest in a series of threats the terrorist organization has made against the World Cup tournament, which is scheduled to begin June 14. On Oct. 17, the group released a photoshopped image of an ISIS fighter and a bomb with the group's flag outside a soccer stadium in Russia. And on Oct. 24, an image of Messi crying blood inside a prison cell was released, accompanied by the words "Just Terrorism." Authorities in the footballer's home country are taking the threats against Messi seriously, per Bleacher Report. Claudio Tapia, the head of the Argentina Football Association, has met with the Russian ambassador to discuss safety measures. (More World Cup stories.)