England’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup have been disrupted after their training equipment was stolen before their arrival in Kansas City on Saturday.
Vehicles transferring equipment to England’s Swope Soccer Village base in Kansas City were broken into, with balls and boots among the items feared to have been taken.
The Football Association is working to establish the full extent of what was stolen following the incident, which took place on Friday night.
Police officers were on site dealing with the matter and remained in contact with the FA throughout the evening as investigations got underway.
It is understood that two arrests have been made in connection with the theft, suggesting authorities moved quickly to respond to the incident.
A spokesman for Kansas Police confirmed the situation, stating: “We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening. The investigation is ongoing.”
Manager Thomas Tuchel and his squad were due to arrive in Kansas City on Saturday afternoon, with the equipment expected to already be in place at their training base.
England’s players are scheduled to undertake their first full training day on Sunday, meaning staff will be working urgently to resolve the equipment situation beforehand.
The theft could potentially disrupt some of Tuchel’s preparations for their World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday, which kicks off at 21:00 BST.
Losing key training items such as boots and balls at such a critical moment in the tournament calendar is far from ideal for any international side.
The FA will be hoping the matter is resolved swiftly and cleanly so that Tuchel can focus entirely on getting his squad ready for what is one of the most high-profile games of the group stage.
England and Croatia have history at major tournaments, adding further weight to Wednesday’s fixture as Tuchel’s side prepare to open their World Cup campaign.
