England's national team, aiming to lift its first trophy in 60 years at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, suffered a baffling crime just before the tournament's kickoff. A major setback hit as a large amount of essential equipment was stolen ahead of full-scale local acclimatization training.
According to U.S. local media on the 13th and British outlets including the BBC and the Daily Mail, Kansas City police in Missouri said on the 12th (local time) that they launched an investigation after training equipment was stolen from the England national team's luggage transport vehicle en route to the Kansas City base camp. Police reportedly arrested two suspects and are questioning them about the specific details of the crime.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel and the squad, who had completed pre-tournament training in Florida, planned to move on the weekend of the 13th to Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, their new base, and settle in. To ensure smooth preparations, staff sent tactical and medical equipment by vehicle on the 12th, the day before the players were to travel, but they belatedly discovered during unloading that items inside the cargo hold had been stolen.
The Football Association (FA) is said to be investigating exactly which items are missing. The lost cargo reportedly included not only basic gear such as customized boots for players including star striker Harry Kane and match balls, but also the team's IT devices for performance analysis, Tuchel's tactical board, and massage tables used to help players recover from fatigue.
The team had planned to hold its first full training session on Monday the 15th, but with replacement equipment now urgently needed, adjustments to the training schedule have become unavoidable.
England has been drawn into Group L with Croatia, Ghana, and Panama at this North and Central America World Cup. It will launch its title bid in earnest with its group-stage opener against Croatia on the 17th in Dallas, Texas.