England Recovers Stolen Boots and Balls in Kansas City

The England national football team has had most of its stolen equipment recovered by Kansas City Police, following a theft that occurred Friday night. The recovered items include the players' boots and balls, which went missing as the team was transferring their gear from Florida to their World Cup 2026 base in Kansas City.

The incident took place at the Swope Soccer Village, the team's operational hub for the tournament, while personnel from the Football Association (FA) were unloading equipment from a van. A spokesperson for the Kansas City Police Department confirmed that two individuals were apprehended Friday night, and the investigation is ongoing.

Sources cited by ESPN indicated that training material and other items used by the England squad were among the missing articles, though the FA is still assessing the full extent of the losses. British media reports suggested that footballs and boots were among the stolen items. The FA acknowledged the incident but declined to provide further details due to the active police investigation.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas stated that local, state, and federal authorities are collaborating to pinpoint the exact location of the theft and identify any additional individuals involved. England selected Kansas City as its base despite not playing any group stage matches in the city. The team's first match is scheduled for June 17 against Croatia in Dallas.

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two people were taken into custody