England’s stateside visit has already gone haywire before the team’s first match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Three Lions had equipment stolen as the team prepared to move from their pre-tournament home base in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Mo. England concluded their preparations on Thursday and were given the day off before flying out to Kansas City on Saturday.
England’s Football Association had been setting up the team’s new home base ahead of the players’ arrival when staffers noticed several items missing upon unloading a team van.
According to The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg, the most significant items stolen were match boots for several of the team’s stars. The team was also short on its inventory of official tournament balls, training kits, and other equipment.
The Kansas City Police Department reportedly confirmed that two suspects were taken into custody over the incident.
“We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening,” the KCPD said in a statement.
England still has some time to go shoe shopping, with the team’s first match in the group stage not kicking off until next Wednesday against Croatia. They may need some time to break in the new cleats, though.
