KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two people have been taken into custody after equipment belonging to the England national team was reported stolen from team vehicles during their transfer from a pre-training base in Florida to Kansas City, where England will have its World Cup base camp. The theft occurred sometime Friday night, authorities said.
The English Football Association confirmed the loss to The Associated Press but declined to provide details while the police investigation is under way. Sgt. Phil DiMartino of the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department confirmed that two people were detained in connection with the case.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said local officials learned the items were taken at some point between the team’s over-the-road transport from Florida and their arrival at the training facility. Lucas added that public safety officials at the local, state and federal levels are working to trace where in the United States the items may have been moved and to identify all individuals involved.
England chose Kansas City as its permanent World Cup base despite not playing group matches there because the city is centrally located. The team’s opening match against Croatia in Dallas is about a 90-minute flight; games against Ghana in Boston and Panama in New Jersey are at most around three hours away, and the West Coast remains accessible for potential knockout fixtures.
Defending champion Argentina and the Netherlands are also based in Kansas City for the tournament, while Algeria is training in nearby Lawrence, Kansas.
The England squad has been training at Swope Soccer Village, the former training ground of MLS club Sporting Kansas City and home to the club’s second-division team and academy programs. An England flag is flying at the site and signage proclaims it “The Home of England.” The team is staying at a boutique hotel in Prairie Village, Kansas.
England was scheduled to hold its first open training session at Swope Soccer Village on Saturday, though organizers warned that stormy weather could affect the plan. The session was to be open to media and a selection of community members.
James Robson reported from Atlanta.