World Cup U.S. security authorities have managed to recover the sports equipment of the English national team that was stolen the night before last (local time) in Kansas City. According to sources from the federation contacted by the BBC, it was possible to retrieve almost all of the equipment. Even before the recovery of the gear, a spokesperson for the local police had informed that an “investigation is underway.” Unofficial reports also indicated two arrests related to this theft. The robbery occurred when the vehicles transporting the equipment to the Swope Soccer Village training center were broken into, carrying match balls, game boots, and other training gear. This happened before the team arrived in the city. This way, a major setback for one of the teams vying for the World Cup 2026 has been avoided. As former player Phil Jagielka reminded the BBC, “unlike what happens in clubs,” where players have many pairs of boots available, for competitions like the Euros or World Cups, footballers insist on bringing “customized boots,” whether it be the use of special insoles or the “inscription of their children’s names, their wives, or their own nicknames.” “All of this is done many months in advance,” said the former center-back who spent much of his career at Everton, where he worked with Marco Silva. The first training session for the team led by Thomas Tuchel in Kansas City is scheduled for today. England will face Croatia on Wednesday, one of the major matches of the first round of the long group stage of the World Cup 2026.
Read more in football news. and related tags: Stolen Equipment, Two Arrests.