Tornado strikes Kansas City hours after England squad arrives for World Cup base

A tornado struck Kansas City on Saturday evening, hours after England touched down at their World Cup base in the Missouri city ahead of their Group L opener against Croatia on Wednesday.

Thomas Tuchel’s squad had arrived at lunchtime local time following a day and a half off in Florida, completing a community training session at Swope Soccer Village at 5pm local time with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius. Shortly after, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of the city, cautioning residents of “destructive 80mph winds” and urging people to “take shelter in a sturdy building, away from windows.”

The incoming storm prompted organisers to shut the FIFA fan festival early. A statement from the event read: “Due to anticipated severe weather, the FIFA fan festival will be closing early at 5pm and will not reopen today. The safety of the public, staff, volunteers and entertainers remains our top priority.”

All 26 members of England’s squad had trained in the heat well before conditions deteriorated, having checked into the Inn at Meadowbrook in the south of the city. Around 200 supporters greeted the players at the hotel, while approximately 700 spectators watched the training session at Swope Soccer Village.

The tornado adds to a string of disruptions England have encountered since arriving in the United States. Their pre-tournament camp in Florida was already marked by weather problems, including a one-hour delay to their final warm-up friendly against Costa Rica due to a thunderstorm. The squad also arrived to news that training equipment — including some players’ boots and official tournament balls — had been stolen from their base on Friday.

England open their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday before further Group L fixtures against Ghana and Panama, as Tuchel’s side bid to end 60 years without a World Cup triumph.