In the early hours of Thursday, assailants targeted a supermarket named “Unico” in Rosario, the Argentinean city where Paris Saint-Germain striker Lionel Messi grew up. The store is owned by Messi’s wife’s family.
Gunmen fired 14 shots at the storefront and left a menacing note for Messi, stating “Messi, we are waiting for you. Javkin is a drug dealer. He is not going to look after you,” making reference to the city’s mayor. The incident has raised concerns about escalating violence in Rosario, which has been plagued by increasing crime rates.
Thankfully, no one was injured in the attack, but the store suffered significant damage. Messi, who recently led Argentina to their third World Cup victory in Qatar and won FIFA’s Best Men’s Player 2022 award, has not commented on the situation. He and his family currently live in Paris, where their next game is against Nantes on Saturday.
The attack is particularly unsettling due to the strong connection Messi and his wife have to Rosario and the targeted nature of the assault on the family business.