England's World Cup preparations have suffered an unexpected setback after team equipment, including boots and balls, was stolen from their training base in Kansas City. Thomas Tuchel's side arrived in the Midwest on Saturday afternoon following a warm-weather camp in Florida, but the theft has disrupted their build-up to Wednesday's Group L opener against Croatia.
The stolen items include boots belonging to star players, as well as training balls and other equipment, all taken ahead of a scheduled session at Swope Soccer Village. The incident adds to England's troubles after they had earlier experienced issues upon arriving at their base, though they did beat Miami United 6-0 in a training friendly following a comfortable win over Costa Rica.
Elsewhere, the World Cup is already underway with co-hosts making their mark. Canada earned their first-ever World Cup point by coming from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the United States thumped Paraguay 4-1 in Group D, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice. Mexico opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over South Africa in a match that saw three red cards.
Scotland, meanwhile, are preparing for their first World Cup fixture in 28 years, facing Haiti in the early hours of Sunday morning. The Scots have never progressed beyond the group stage in eight previous finals, but the expanded 2026 edition offers a realistic chance of advancement, with a third-place finish likely sufficient.
