A group of Argentina supporters claim they came under gunfire while travelling to their team's opening fixture of the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday. The fans informed an Argentine television crew that a passing vehicle fired twice at their Uber as they made their way to Argentina's clash with Algeria in Kansas City.
Incident Details
They say the shots struck their driver in the leg and police attended the scene, according to reports in Newsweek. One passenger described spotting a wound and realising what had occurred only after the car braked sharply, having initially mistaken the gunfire for a punctured tyre.
The fans told Argentine outlet La Nacion the incident took place roughly 20 minutes before kick-off at 7:40pm local time (1:40am BST). The group say police took them to provide a statement before driving them to the stadium in patrol vehicles.
Motive Unknown
The motive behind the alleged shooting remains unclear, according to the fans. Another supporter also claimed it had "already happened to three other cars."
Kansas City ranked fourth in the nation for violent crime rate among cities with populations exceeding 100,000 last year, according to FBI data. Most infamously, a fatal shooting occurred during the Chiefs' Super Bowl championship celebration in February 2025 when local radio presenter Lisa Lopez-Galvan was struck and killed by a stray bullet. Around two dozen others sustained injuries, though none proved fatal.
Match Result
Argentina launched the defence of their World Cup crown in emphatic fashion with a commanding 3-0 victory, as iconic skipper Lionel Messi marked the occasion with a hat-trick. The 38 year old was reduced to tears during his record-equalling performance, insisting it had "nothing to do with football."
Messi's treble - his first for his nation - drew him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 goals in the all-time leading scorers list, on a night that also marked his 200th appearance for his country.
Paying tribute to his teammates and La Albiceleste staff after the final whistle for their unwavering support, he said: "Honestly, completely unrelated to the sport, I went through some difficult, complicated days. I'm grateful to the entire delegation, to my teammates. They were always there for me, as always. They gave me a lot of strength to get through this, and that's all."
Argentina return to World Cup action on Monday when they face Austria in Arlington at 6pm BST.
