England recover part of the training equipment stolen from a vehicle during preparations for their 2026 World Cup campaign in Kansas City, USA. Multiple reports say a van carrying England’s gear is broken into shortly after the squad’s arrival at Swope Soccer Village ahead of their first training session at their World Cup base in Missouri. The stolen items are reported to include players’ boots, training equipment and official match balls, with senior players’ footwear mentioned in some accounts.
Kansas City police confirm two people are taken into custody following the break-in. Meanwhile, the Football Association (FA) begins working to replace missing kit and prepare for training at the team’s facilities. Later reporting says some recovered items are returned to England, though one outlet notes that key items such as “essential boots and balls” are not among what is recovered, indicating that the inventory remains incomplete.
England’s pre-tournament warm-up matches in Florida are described as going smoothly before the theft occurs en route to Kansas City.
