England team robbed of training gear ahead of World Cup opener

England’s camp was left in “absolute shock” after a theft of training equipment worth thousands of pounds just days before the team begins its 2026 World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday. The incident happened over the weekend, and the Daily Mail reported new details about what may have gone wrong.

According to the report, English football officials suspect an “inside job,” possibly involving drivers trusted by the transport company hired to move the gear 1,400 miles across four countries. By Friday afternoon, emergency calls were made and at least six police cars were sent to the scene, with arrests later carried out.

Nearly all of the contents of one of England’s vans disappeared, including players’ boots, balls and training shirts. Some of the stolen footwear was custom-made, embroidered with personal messages and fitted with special insoles for comfort and performance, making the missing items worth thousands of pounds.

The theft was discovered only after England had already arrived at its training base in Kansas City, just 24 hours before its first session there. Staff went to unload the van and found it empty, with some non-stolen items scattered outside. The thieves also tried to take the players’ ping-pong table, but it broke during the attempt. Police are said to have recovered some of the stolen gear, though it is still unclear exactly what was found, and the breach has raised serious concerns for the tournament’s logistics team.