Kansas City police have arrested two people connected to the theft of the England team’s training gear during their transit from Florida, right before their opening match against Croatia.
Kansas City police have just arrested two suspects for investigation after some of the England team’s belongings were stolen during transit from Florida. The incident occurred right before coach Thomas Tuchel’s team officially entered their final preparation activities for the 2026 World Cup campaign in North America.
According to information from ESPN, the England team concluded their preparatory training camp in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida last Thursday. After that, the whole squad was given a day off before flying to Kansas City on Saturday. However, trouble arose when the English Football Association’s (FA) logistics team proceeded to set up their new base at Swope Soccer Village. When an equipment truck arrived to unload, staff discovered that training kits and many other important items had disappeared.
Currently, the FA is actively determining exactly what was taken. In an official statement, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department confirmed: “We are investigating a suspected theft of equipment from the team’s vehicle. This vehicle arrived in Kansas City missing numerous items inside this evening.” The investigation is still ongoing, and two suspects have been detained for questioning.
Despite this rare incident, the England team’s schedule will be maintained as originally planned. Accordingly, the team is expected to have a community training session on Saturday afternoon. After that, the “Three Lions” will travel to Dallas to prepare for their opening Group L match against Croatia middle of next week.
The theft of training equipment is an unnecessary logistical hassle, forcing the staff to quickly resolve it so as not to affect the players’ professional preparation ahead of the important match. The coaching staff is making efforts to ensure the entire team’s mentality remains strong before entering the biggest tournament on the planet.
