England's World Cup preparations have been disrupted by a theft of training equipment, including some players' boots and official tournament balls, as the team arrived in Kansas City. The incident occurred on Friday while staff were in transit from their pre-tournament base in Florida to the Swope Soccer Village in Missouri.
Local police confirmed that a vehicle transporting the equipment was broken into, and two individuals have been taken into custody pending further investigation. Despite the theft, England staff have already recovered some of the missing items, and none of the equipment was deemed irreplaceable or essential for elite performance.
The team is due to have their first full training session in Kansas City on Sunday, building up to their World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday. Manager Thomas Tuchel has already overseen two warm-up friendlies in Florida, including a 3-0 win over Costa Rica and a behind-closed-doors 6-0 victory against Miami United FC.
Missouri has proven a popular base for several World Cup teams, with holders Argentina, the Netherlands, and Algeria also staying in the Kansas City area. England will be hoping to put the theft behind them as they focus on their tournament campaign.
