For most football fans, the 1998 World Cup is remembered for Michael Owen’s wonder goal against Argentina, Zinedine Zidane lifting the trophy for France, and David Beckham’s infamous red card. But behind the scenes, security services were reportedly dealing with something far more sinister.
According to claims detailed in the 2002 book Terror on the Pitch by journalist Adam Robinson, authorities foiled an alleged Al-Qaeda-linked terror plot that would have targeted World Cup matches, American diplomatic sites, and even a French nuclear power station. The alleged plan was so extraordinary that many of the footballers supposedly caught up in it say they had no idea it ever existed.
Former US striker Brian McBride told the Daily Mail he only realised years later that there had been concerns about a potential threat during the tournament. During the World Cup, the United States team were based at the Château de Pizay, a historic estate in eastern France. Players were reportedly told not to wander into nearby woodland because military personnel were stationed there. ‘We just thought, “Oh well, we’re really secure”,’ McBride recalled.
The Alleged Plot Against England
According to Robinson’s book, one strand of the alleged plot centred on England’s group-stage match against Tunisia in Marseille. The author claims extremists planned to infiltrate the Stade Vélodrome disguised as workers before launching an attack aimed at players, officials, and supporters watching the match. According to the claims, one attacker was intended to detonate explosives near England goalkeeper David Seaman, while Alan Shearer was allegedly among the players marked for assassination.
The plan also reportedly involved targeting the England substitutes’ bench, where David Beckham and Michael Owen were expected to be sitting, before launching attacks on spectators with grenades and gunfire in an effort to trigger mass panic.
Targeting High-Profile Players
The book further alleges that David Beckham, Michael Owen, Alan Shearer, and goalkeeper David Seaman were among the intended targets because of their high profiles and the global television audience watching the game. Elsewhere, separate attacks were allegedly being planned against the US Embassy in Paris, the US Consulate in Marseille, and members of the American national team. Former US defender Marcelo Balboa admitted he had never heard details of the alleged operation until recently. ‘I had no clue,’ he told the newspaper.
Nuclear Plant Hijacking Plot
Perhaps the most chilling allegation concerns a supposed plan to hijack a passenger aircraft and crash it into the Civaux Nuclear Power Plant in western France. Robinson’s book claims extremists believed such an attack could trigger devastation on a scale comparable to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. The allegations have drawn renewed attention because of their apparent similarities to the September 11 attacks, which would occur three years later.
According to Terror on the Pitch, intelligence gathered from arrests across Europe and information supplied by a suspected double agent ultimately helped authorities uncover the alleged conspiracy. In the weeks before the tournament began, police forces across France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Switzerland carried out a series of coordinated anti-terror raids, resulting in dozens of arrests. At the time, French officials described the operation as one of the largest anti-terror actions ever attempted in Europe.
Disputed Details and Player Reactions
Many details surrounding the alleged plot remain disputed or difficult to independently verify nearly three decades later, but what is clear is that security concerns were already growing across international sport during the late 1990s. Former US Soccer Federation president Alan Rothenberg told the Daily Mail that officials were never informed about any specific threat to the team during the tournament. ‘We knew nothing,’ he said.
England stars have also expressed surprise when told about the claims. Former midfielder Darren Anderton reportedly described the allegations as ‘nuts’, while ex-manager Glenn Hoddle said he only became aware years later that there had been fears about a potential security threat. Whether the alleged plot was as advanced as some accounts suggest may never be fully known.
What remains remarkable is that one of football’s most iconic World Cups may also have come far closer to tragedy than anybody watching from home realised.
