England World Cup team's equipment stolen in US during travel

England’s national men’s football team, currently in the United States (U.S.) for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, had their equipment stolen during transportation.

According to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, the gear was stolen at some point during the team’s travel from Florida to its training camp in Kansas City. In a statement on X, the mayor said that an investigation has been launched to trace the thieves.

He wrote, “Public safety officials at the local, state and federal levels are working to trace where in the U.S. the items were seized and all individuals who may have been involved.”

In a separate tweet later, the mayor welcomed the British team and shared pictures of its arrival at the airport. However, he did not mention anything about the stolen gear.

Reports indicate that the stolen goods included footwear and footballs, among other things. No “game-critical” item was taken.

The British broadcaster BBC claimed that the equipment has already been recovered and two arrests were made in connection to the theft but there’s no official confirmation from the team or the mayor.

England’s football team will hold their first training session in Kansas City on Sunday as they gear up to play their first World Cup match against Croatia on Wednesday.