[3] Organised by the Algerian Armed Islamic Group (GIA) and backed by Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the plot is thought to have targeted the England–Tunisia match on 15 June 1998, and involved infiltrating the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille in order to attack players and spectators during the game, attack the hotel in Paris hosting the United States national team, and finally hijacking an aircraft and crashing it into the Civaux Nuclear Power Plant near Poitiers.
[3] The original suspect of the plot was French-Algerian Farid Melouk, who had previously been sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison in France for his connection to the 1995 Paris Métro and RER bombings.
[4][5][6] Melouk had reportedly been tracked by intelligence services following his entry into Belgium, where he was found to be in contact with Ahmed Zaoui and a GIA-linked Brussels mosque.
[2] The plot involved terrorists infiltrating the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille as stadium crew, in order to attack English players and spectators during the England–Tunisia match on 15 June.
[3] Terrorists had reportedly planned to blow up the England substitute bench (targeting youngsters David Beckham and Michael Owen), shoot English players and throw grenades into the stands.
[3] The details, and even existence, of the plot were kept secret from managers, players and the media, but were known to security services including The Football Association staff.
[18] According to the bin Laden biographer, Yossef Bodansky, the World Cup plot being foiled was one of the reasons for "dormant terrorist networks" eventually responsible for the August 1998 United States embassy bombings being "reactivated".
[3][19] A terror plot against the UEFA Euro 2000 was discovered after Dutch intelligence services intercepted calls made between GIA operatives from inside French prisons.