Last Thursday, shocking news emerged from Rosario, Argentina, when a warning was sent to the country’s adored sensation Lionel Messi. Gunmen attacked a store affiliated with Messi in what must be a horrific moment for Argentina’s hero.
In the early hours of Thursday, two gunmen on a motorcycle were seen firing bullets at a supermarket in Rosario. The store happened to belong to Messi’s wife Antonela Rocuzzo’s family. More than a dozen bullets entered the store though no one was reported to be hurt. However, it was little more than a shooting incident and was instead meant to be a direct message to Messi and his family. On a piece of cardboard, the gunmen left Messi a handwritten message that read, “Messi we are waiting for you, Pablo Javkin is also a drug dealer; he will not take care of you.” A police unit is presently stationed outside the store to provide security.
Gunmen in Argentina left a threatening message for Lionel Messi after opening fire at a supermarket owned by his wife's family, per @AP
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 3, 2023
The message read: "Messi, we're waiting for you. [Rosario Mayor Pablo Javkin] is also a drug trafficker, so he won't take care of you." pic.twitter.com/xFrcpgFcRA
The man mentioned in the note, Pablo Javkin is the mayor of Rosario, where Messi and his wife were born. The city is infested with violent gangs who regularly clash with each other for territory. It is currently the most dangerous city in Argentina with the most homicide cases in the country.
Pablo spoke after the incident describing the incident as an attempt by gangsters to cause anarchy in the volatile city. News24 reported that Ivan Gonzalez who is investigating the case has stated that the threat was more of a diversion to attract attention from other topics rather than an actual threat to Messi. Currently, Messi and his family are in Paris, making them safe from any attack. Some of their family members do reside in Rosario, but they are almost always guarded.
What is going to happen next for Messi?
Messi won the 2022 World Cup recently which made him gain almost immortal status in his home nation like his predecessor Diego Maradona. Messi has even won FIFA’s The Best award for his World Cup performances. He is widely loved by almost everyone in Argentina which makes the threat to him almost shocking.
The violence in Rosario, amplified by the threat on him, may prevent Messi from coming back to Argentina. This could be a major disruption for his national team career.
Neither Messi nor any of his family has spoken about the incident yet. Messi even featured for his club Paris Saint Germain, where he scored first in a 4-2 league win against Nantes.
