England’s World Cup preparations have been disrupted after equipment belonging to the national team was reportedly stolen while being transported to Kansas City.
Players’ boots and official match balls are believed to have been among the items taken during the incident, which occurred as England’s equipment was being moved from their training base in West Palm Beach, Florida, to Missouri.
According to reports, the theft was discovered after the vehicle carrying the equipment arrived in Kansas City with several items missing.
The incident prompted an immediate police investigation.
Sources indicate that two people have since been arrested, while authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the theft.
There was some relief for England after reports emerged that most of the missing equipment has now been recovered.
A spokesperson for Kansas police confirmed an investigation remains ongoing.
“We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening,” the spokesperson said.
“The investigation is ongoing.”
The setback comes as Thomas Tuchel’s squad arrives in Kansas City to continue final preparations for their World Cup campaign.
England are scheduled to hold their first training session at Swope Soccer Village on Saturday evening local time as anticipation builds ahead of the tournament opener.
At this stage, it remains unclear whether the theft will have any impact on England’s preparations or training schedule.
The Three Lions have spent the past week in Florida completing a training camp and a series of warm-up matches.
Tuchel’s side secured a narrow 1-0 victory over New Zealand before producing a more convincing display against Costa Rica, winning 3-0.
The squad also took part in an additional training match against American second-tier side Miami FC, recording an emphatic 6-0 victory.
Striker Ivan Toney stole the headlines in that encounter after scoring a hat-trick as England continued to build momentum before the tournament.
Following their stay in Kansas City, England will travel to Arlington, Texas, where they will begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia next Wednesday.
Group L also includes Ghana and Panama as the Three Lions aim to launch another challenge for football’s biggest prize.
While the equipment theft is an unwelcome distraction, England will be hoping the swift recovery of most of the missing items allows them to quickly refocus on the task ahead.
With the World Cup opener now just days away, Tuchel’s priority will be ensuring the incident does not derail preparations for one of the most important tournaments of his managerial career.
