England World Cup camp hit by theft of equipment worth thousands

England’s World Cup 2026 camp was rocked by a theft that left the team “in complete shock” ahead of its opener against Croatia on Wednesday. The incident happened over the weekend and involved training gear, including players’ shoes, balls and practice shirts. According to the Daily Mail, England officials believe it may have been an inside job involving drivers trusted by a transport company hired to move the equipment 1,400 miles across four countries.

The report says urgent calls were made on Friday afternoon, at least six police vehicles were dispatched, and arrests were later made. Nearly all the equipment was taken from one of England’s vans, including custom-made footwear. Some of the shoes reportedly had personal embroidery and bespoke insoles designed for comfort and performance, and the missing items were said to be worth thousands of pounds.

The theft was discovered after England had already reached its training base in Kansas City, just 24 hours before its first session there. Staff went to the van to unload the equipment and found it missing, while items that had not been taken were scattered outside. The thieves also tried to steal the players’ ping-pong table, but it broke during the attempt.

Police are believed to have recovered some of the stolen property, though it is still unclear exactly what was returned or how much remains missing. The breach has raised serious concerns among the team’s logistics staff and prompted questions about security procedures at the tournament.