The horrifying photoshopped image of the famous sportsman behind bars and crying out blood is one of a series of shocking threats against the competition which will be held next summer.
ISIS mouthpiece Wafa Media Foundation released the image yesterday in a bid to spread fear among sports fans hoping to watch their countries play.
The picture of Messi, who plays for Barcelona FC but would represent his home nation of Argentina in the World Cup, depicts him in a prison jumpsuit with the words “Just Terrorism” underneath and “You are fighting a state that does not have failure in its dictionary” plastered on the poster.
‘Messi’ started trending on Twitter this afternoon as fans expressed their shock and concern over the propaganda poster which is being shared across Telegram, the encrypted messaging platform favoured by ISIS supporters.
Over the past few weeks ISIS has released several images threatening the Russian World Cup which will be held across 11 cities from June 14 to July 15, with the final played at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
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Written in English, Arabic and Russian, the posters all have the same message that ISIS wishes to take out football fans.
One of the posters shows an ISIS fighter clad in army fatigues and a head scarf looking over a stadium while clutching an AK47 with sticks of dynamite and a timer next to him.
The poster, says: “O enemies of Allah in Russia.
“I swear that the muhajideen’s fire will burn you.
“Just you wait…”
Another image shows a football pitch with the words: “We are the ones who choose the field of battle.”
Rita Katz, director of SITE Intelligence Group, tweeted: “A recurring topic among ISIS supporters, with chatter and graphics threatening ‘enemies of Allah in Russia’.”
The Memri Institute warned last week ISIS had started threatening to attack the World Cup.
A first wave of images included messages against US President Donald Trump next to the World Cup logo with a stick of dynamite alight and a football stadium in the background.
The message, said: “Wait for us.”