The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) project published a new report on June 18, 2026 about an ISIS editorial calling for lone actor attacks on FIFA World Cup matches in U.S. cities.
On June 18, 2026, the Islamic State (ISIS) released its weekly newsletter, Al-Naba’, issue 552, which featured an editorial titled, “Who Will Be Crowned The Title?” It describes the ongoing soccer World Cup as a “feast of filth” and a “deadly weapon” in the hands of “Crusaders” and Jews, aimed at undermining Muslim faith and morals. The piece calls on supporters to reject the tournament and explicitly encourages “lone mujahideen” to carry out violent attacks, particularly in U.S. host cities.
World Cup As “Cultural Aggression”
The editorial urges devout believers to “program” themselves to seize every opportunity to support Islam and fights its enemies amid what it calls a fierce “Crusader-Jewish onslaught.”
It states: “The devout believer should program himself in all circumstances to seize every opportunity that presents itself to support Islam, spread its message, fight disbelief, and repel its aggression, especially in light of the fierce Crusader-Jewish onslaught that Muslims are facing, targeting their faith and morals before their land and homes. What is the destruction of civilization compared to the destruction of faith?”
The article claims that U.S. President Donald Trump paved the way for the tournament and prioritized it over a war with Iran. The World Cup, hosted across multiple cities in the United States, is therefore framed as an event that has transcended sports and has become a tool of cultural and moral subversion targeting Muslims.
“These days, the Crusaders are holding a feast of filth in the heart of Crusader America and its allies. The world and the media are in a state of high alert and a frenzied campaign to cover this event, which has transcended the boundaries of sports and become a deadly weapon in the hands of the masterminds of evil, who are allocating billions to score more of their goals against the sons of our nation who do not participate in sports except with their eyes, and whose bodies are too heavy for it!”
Criticizing Muslim Soccer Fans
While acknowledging that organized sports can be permissible under shari’a guidelines, the article strongly condemns modern spectator culture surrounding the World Cup. It criticizes Muslim fans for wasting time in front of screens, neglecting prayers, engaging in gender mixing, squandering money by traveling to non-Muslim lands, and developing admiration for non-Muslim athletes.
Such behavior, it argues, erodes the Islamic principle of loyalty to Muslims and disavowal of disbelievers, turning fans into imitators of “Crusaders, atheists, and heretics” who serve as role models for Muslim children instead of Islamic historical figures.
Cheering for teams from countries whose armies have fought Muslims violates core religious bonds, the editorial claimed, eroding the principle of hating disbelievers. Preventing this erosion is described as the key to restoring Muslim glory.
“Sports are not a justification for wasting time, including prayers, by spending hours in front of screens. Nor are sports a justification for the mixing of men and women in cafes and public squares, and the resulting destructive vices. They are not a justification for squandering money and traveling to the lands of disbelief to increase their numbers, fill their stadiums, and ensure the success of their plans. Likewise, sports are not a justification for breaking down the barriers of disavowal between Muslims and disbelievers. Sports have captivated their minds, turning them into lovers and admirers of players who are the sons and daughters of Crusaders, atheists, and heretics,” it read.
Calls For Media Campaigns And Jihadi Action
In addition to ideological arguments, the piece directs supporters to take practical action. It calls for intensified media and da’wah (outreach) campaigns to exploit global attention on the World Cup by dominating hashtags and spreading ISIS propaganda
On the operational front, the editorial labels the tournament period a “golden opportunity” for lone-wolf jihadi attacks, especially in the heart of “Crusader America,” which is hosting matches in eleven cities.
It encourages lone actors to monitor crowds in streets and stadiums and to carry out vehicle rammings, stabbings, arson, and other strikes capable of causing mass casualties and stampedes.
The article tells readers to keep world maps and calendars handy to track “seasons of disbelief” for future attacks and frames successful violence as “true heroism” that will earn religious reward.
“As for the field of jihad, on the offensive, not the defensive front, this season is a golden opportunity for the lone mujahid to revive and renew individual attacks, especially in the heart of Crusader America, which hosted the games in eleven cities. You, O mujahid, have a whole month to monitor the gatherings and launch attacks, for the unbridled hordes of infidels are teeming in the streets and surging through the stands.”
It goes on to add: “So wherever you strike, you will inflict pain; wherever you plunge your knife, you will draw blood; wherever you ram with your car, you will break and shatter. Imagine if you succeeded in setting fire to the stands, creating a massive stampede that would claim the lives of hundreds from the nation of the Trinity and atheism! It is an idea worthy of implementation”
It reminds supporters everywhere that “the world is filled with many of these seasons of ignorance that the mujahid can transform into bloody seasons in which he continues his jihad and avenges his religion.”
