England victims of World Cup ‘heist’ with Tuchel ‘reeling’ as boots and balls among stolen items
England have been forced to deal with the unprecedented setback of having ‘key training equipment’, including tournament balls, stolen before their first World Cup training session at their base in Kansas City, according to a report.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are currently preparing – or attempting to prepare – for their 2026 World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday.
England suffer bizarre blow before World Cup opener v Croatia
The England head coach has plenty of selection headaches, but those will feel insignificant if he has no footballs to work with. According to the Daily Mail, some have been stolen en route to the Three Lions’ training base in Kansas City.
The report states that key items, including players’ boots, were pinched in an ‘audacious World Cup heist’ while being transported from West Palm Beach, Florida, to England’s Swope Soccer Village base in Missouri.
England are set to remain in Kansas City for at least three weeks but, ahead of their first training session on Saturday afternoon, only a single football was reportedly left among the untouched cargo.
An arrest has been made and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department said: ‘We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening. The investigation is ongoing.’
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It has been deemed a ‘devastating blow’, with England staff headed by Tuchel reportedly ‘reeling from the robbery’ as they fight against time to recover or replace crucial items intended to help them win the World Cup.
Tuchel is now reportedly without whiteboards, analysis equipment and massage tables.
There is even a chance that ‘security staff suspect that drivers they trusted to deliver the kit could be involved’ in the theft of the ‘key training equipment’.
England’s opening World Cup fixture is against Croatia on Wednesday at Dallas Stadium in Arlington before they face Ghana in Foxborough and conclude their Group L campaign against Panama at the New York New Jersey Stadium, where the World Cup final will be held on July 19.
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