England's World Cup camp hit by kit theft and backlash over ICE deportation plane

Thomas Tuchel’s England side have endured a turbulent start to their 2026 World Cup campaign, arriving in Kansas City on a charter plane previously used by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport migrants, while $18,000 (£13,410) worth of kit was stolen from delivery vans during the journey from West Palm Beach, Florida, to their base at Swope Soccer Village in Missouri.

The aircraft, operated by charter firm GlobalX under a contract with ICE’s ‘ICE Air’ programme, had previously transported deportees to Haiti, Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. The same plane was featured in footage shared by President Donald Trump in March 2025, which showed alleged Venezuelan criminals being escorted off the aircraft by heavily armed El Salvadoran authorities upon landing in the Caribbean. The images generated significant controversy in the United States at the time.

England’s decision to use the aircraft risks drawing unwanted attention ahead of their opening group-stage fixture against Croatia on Wednesday. With the tournament being co-hosted by the United States, any association with Trump’s contentious immigration enforcement operations could invite public backlash on American soil.

The kit theft compounds an already difficult build-up for the Three Lions. Thieves targeted delivery vans transporting luggage from West Palm Beach to Missouri, making off with training balls, Tuchel’s tactical analysis equipment, whiteboards, and conditioning staff’s massage tables. Crucially, the boots of key players — including those of captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham — were among the stolen items.

England’s backroom staff worked frantically to retrieve and replace the missing equipment before Wednesday’s opener. The squad had completed their pre-tournament preparations in Florida, recording wins over New Zealand and Costa Rica, before the disruptions began during the move north to Kansas City.

England enter the tournament as one of the leading contenders, but the combination of the kit theft and the controversy surrounding their travel arrangements has cast a shadow over what should have been a smooth final phase of preparation.