The England team had a positive start in West Palm Beach ahead of their opening Group L game next week. They won friendlies against New Zealand in Tampa and Costa Rica in Orlando. What followed, however, has now become a major headache for Thomas Tuchel and his squad just before the team was supposed to kick off their first training session in Kansas City on Saturday.

According to reports, the England team was the victim of a major theft this week, with multiple items stolen before its first World Cup training session. The theft reportedly occurred while the team’s equipment was being transported from the squad’s pre-tournament base in Florida to its training camp at Swope Soccer Village in Missouri.

The Daily Mail reported that boots belonging to the team’s biggest stars, including Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, have been stolen. On top of that, the team is now left with just one football from the cargo, as official tournament balls and key training equipment have also been gone.

But even before Tuchel and his squad could hit the training, they’re now left with a major task to determine what is left and what is stolen. Per reports, the Football Association has declined to comment after the incident occurred. However, they would work closely with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department to retrieve the stolen items. A spokesperson from the Police Department revealed that an arrest has been made, and the investigation is ongoing.

“We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening. Two subjects of interest were taken into custody pending further investigation,” said the Police Department.

The theft puts Kansas City in an embarrassing spot as the host of four national teams: England, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Algeria, offering official Team Base Camps, ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Considering that England selected a training camp that wasn’t even listed in FIFA’s catalog of training sites at the time of the initial visits speaks volumes about the trust that was placed. Kansas City has never hosted an event on such a large scale, as they are yet to host the Olympics or even a Super Bowl. Pulling off the role of a base camp host to four national teams and six FIFA matches is an equally terrifying and massive opportunity in itself.

England is now scheduled to open its campaign against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday, with Tuchel’s staff looking to bring the glory back to the country for the first time since 1966. Meanwhile, the reported theft has taken place just days after a mass shooting occurred near England’s team facility in Kansas City.

Nine people were injured after a major shooting incident in Kansas City

Last week, a shooting incident was reported near England’s World Cup base in Kansas City, Missouri. At the time, however, the team was still preparing for the tournament in Palm Beach, Florida. Police responded after the Kansas City Police Department received reports of gunfire and arrived to find a large crowd dispersing.

The incident reportedly took place on Troost Avenue, which is less than five miles or a 10-minute drive from the training base camp and a little further in the other direction to the team hotel England will use during the tournament. The incident took place at 4 am last Saturday.

Further reports later confirmed nine people suffering injuries, including three adult females. They were taken to different hospitals across the city. Fortunately, there were no life-threatening injuries.

But at the same time, it’s worth noting that the shooting incident occurred after the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners accepted a $17 million federal grant for World Cup security and safety. But two incidents have been reported ever since, with England set to start their campaign on Wednesday.