Article by Daniel Scorpie – Published Saturday, June 13, 2026, 11:36 p.m. / Updated Saturday, June 13, 2026, 11:36 p.m.
Logistical shock at the England national team. Just days before their official 2026 World Cup debut against Croatia, Thomas Tuchel's side were victims of a massive theft of technical equipment during the transfer from their original training camp in Palm Beach, Florida, to their new training base in Missouri.
The BBC and Sky News reported the news, and the English Football Association (FA) confirmed the incident.
The vans transporting the equipment to Kansas City's Swooper Soccer Village were broken into Friday night shortly after arriving in the city. The catch is an impressive one, so it threatens to seriously affect England's set-up ahead of the first training session scheduled for 5pm local time today.
What did the thieves steal from England's national team transport
Initial reports indicate that a huge amount of material is missing: hundreds of official balls and all training kits, medical kits and some of the technological equipment used by Tuchel's technical staff, as well as the players' custom boots, including – rumored to be those of stars Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
There are also rumors of the possible disappearance of official match kits, a detail that has yet to be confirmed but is keeping fans in suspense.
FA officials have made urgent efforts to contact the official technical suppliers with the aim of replacing the damage as quickly as possible to avoid serious disruption to training.
Police arrested two suspects
According to Sky Sports UK, however, much of the stolen equipment has been recovered. However, the investigation by the US authorities is ongoing as they try to piece together what happened.
The Kansas City (Missouri) Police Department is working the case. In an official statement released to the media, investigators confirmed the opening of a case regarding “a possible theft from a team vehicle that arrived in the evening, with several items missing.”
A first important progress in the investigation was made in the last hours. Local police announced that “Two suspects have been arrested and are currently being questioned pending possible charges.”
