Two individuals have been detained after a number of items linked to the England football squad were reported missing.
The incident happened as the team made the trip from Florida to Missouri ahead of their involvement in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Reportedly missing were several pieces of equipment, including boots and footballs used by the squad.
Kansas City Police Department has confirmed that two people are now in custody in connection with the matter, although no further details have yet been made public.
England were on their way to their World Cup training base in Kansas City, where Thomas Tuchel’s side are due to start training on Saturday at Swope Soccer Village, the team base camp selected for the tournament.
The team’s opening game of the tournament is scheduled for June 17 against Croatia, with the match set to take place in Dallas.
Items said to have been taken include boots belonging to some of the squad’s best-known players, along with official World Cup match balls. Reports have also suggested other support equipment was among the missing items. Police said the equipment was discovered missing from a vehicle in Kansas City after it arrived in the city on Friday evening.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Kansas City 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 statement added:
“Two subjects of interest were taken into custody pending further investigation.”
England have been based in Florida in the build-up to the tournament, with England Football confirming the squad first travelled to the US at the start of June before moving on to Kansas City for the start of their official World Cup camp.
At present, England are adjusting to the warmer conditions in the US as they prepare for a group-stage campaign that will also see them face Ghana on June 23 in Boston and Panama on June 27 in New Jersey.
The 2026 World Cup is the biggest in the competition’s history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
On June 11, co-hosts Mexico opened the tournament against South Africa in Mexico City.
The schedule then ramps up through the opening weekend, with Canada, the USA and a number of other contenders beginning their campaigns as the expanded group stage gets fully under way.
For England, the immediate focus remains on whether the missing equipment can be recovered or replaced in time for the squad’s first full training sessions in Missouri before Tuesday’s opener against Croatia.