England's World Cup preparations have been disrupted after training equipment was stolen before the squad had even arrived at their tournament base in Kansas City.

The incident occurred while equipment was being transported from England's pre-tournament camp in Florida to Swope Soccer Village, where Thomas Tuchel's side are set to train throughout the early stages of the competition. According to local authorities, a vehicle carrying team equipment arrived with items missing, prompting a police investigation.

Kansas City Police confirmed officers were investigating a suspected theft and revealed that two individuals of interest had been taken into custody while enquiries continue. Reports indicated that football boots, training gear and balls were among the items believed to have been taken.

The Football Association confirmed that an incident had taken place but declined to comment further due to the ongoing police investigation.

The timing could hardly have been worse for England, who are preparing for their opening World Cup fixture against Croatia next week. Tuchel's squad had been completing a warm-weather training camp in Florida before making the move to Missouri ahead of the tournament.

While initial reports raised concerns that players' customised boots may have been among the stolen items, subsequent reports suggested the theft largely involved spare equipment rather than essential match-day gear. Some of the missing items have also reportedly been recovered, easing fears that England's preparations could be significantly disrupted.

Despite that reassurance, the story quickly spread across social media, with many football fans expressing disbelief that a national team competing at the world's biggest sporting event could fall victim to theft before even beginning training. One person commented:

"This would never happen in Qatar or even Russia! America is legit the ghetto!"

Another wrote:

"Embarrassing. Are you not ashamed USA? Spoiling such a great sport you can’t even pronounce correctly."

A third added:

"At this point roll on the World Cup 2030. I’ve never been so underwhelmed and flabbergasted at the same time for any other World Cup."

The incident has also added to wider criticism surrounding the tournament's organisation. Although every World Cup faces logistical challenges, many supporters have pointed out that previous tournaments in countries such as Qatar and Russia generally ran smoothly from a security perspective, with teams rarely reporting incidents involving stolen equipment or breaches at training facilities.

Others have argued that it is unfair to judge an entire tournament based on a single criminal incident, particularly as authorities acted quickly and made arrests within hours of the theft being reported. Police have not yet confirmed exactly where along the journey the items were taken, and investigations remain ongoing.

England are still expected to train as scheduled in Kansas City before turning their attention to Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L. With much of the missing equipment reportedly recovered and contingency plans already in place, the disruption is unlikely to derail Tuchel's preparations entirely.

For now, however, England's World Cup story has started in the most unexpected way possible, not with goals, tactics or team selections, but with a police investigation into stolen boots and footballs.