Kane and Bellingham's boots stolen before England's World Cup opener

England’s squad suffered a sports equipment theft before even their first training session in Kansas City, where the Three Lions have established their base camp for the 2026 World Cup. Match boots and nearly all of the squad’s footballs disappeared during transport by van from Florida, reports the Daily Mail.

Among the victims are several key players in the squad, including Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, who both reportedly lost their match boots. More surprisingly, the thieves apparently took almost all of the team’s footballs, leaving just a single ball for the group to use.

The squad’s security service suspects the van drivers were involved in the theft. The English Football Association quickly alerted local authorities. According to ESPN, two people were arrested on Friday as part of the investigation.

The incident comes just days before the Three Lions’ first match in the tournament, scheduled against Croatia on Wednesday, June 17.