England's boots and training gear stolen in transit ahead of World Cup opener against Croatia

England’s World Cup preparations have been disrupted after players’ boots and key training equipment were reportedly stolen in transit as the squad moved their base from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Daily Mail reports that official tournament footballs, analysis equipment, Thomas Tuchel’s tactical whiteboards, and massage tables were among the items taken, with only a single football said to have been left behind. Fears are growing that boots belonging to Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and other squad members were also taken in the theft.

England staff were scrambling to source replacements ahead of the squad’s first training session at Swope Soccer Village on Saturday, June 13. The FA has launched an investigation in cooperation with local police to determine exactly what was taken and to recover the stolen goods. Mirror Sport has contacted the FA for comment.

The incident is a significant setback for a squad that had otherwise enjoyed a smooth pre-tournament camp in Miami. Tuchel’s men beat Costa Rica 3-0 before a 6-0 win over Miami FC in a behind-closed-doors friendly, and the England head coach had spoken positively about the camp’s progress.

“We can manage the game time,” Tuchel said ahead of the relocation. “Then the players get one and a half days off, not only physically but also mentally to switch off. Well deserved. Then we start the next chunk of the tournament, which is the group stage, and we change location, which I’m looking forward to — not because we didn’t like it here, it was excellent here and at the highest level. But it is nice to change scenery and give it a new frame for the next period of the tournament, which is then full focus on the group stage.”

England will use Swope Soccer Village as their base for the next three weeks as they look to advance from the group stage. Their tournament opener against Croatia is scheduled for next week.