England World Cup gear recovered after Kansas City theft

Equipment stolen from England’s World Cup team during its move from Florida to Kansas City has been recovered, the BBC reported Saturday, as police investigated the theft and two people were taken into custody.

The gear disappeared while vehicles carrying team equipment were traveling from England’s pre-training base in Florida to the team’s permanent World Cup base camp in Kansas City, Missouri. The English Football Association confirmed the theft to The Associated Press but said it could not provide further details because of the ongoing police investigation.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said officials learned that goods belonging to the English national team were stolen “at some point between their over-the-road transport from Florida to their arrival at the training facility in Kansas City.”

“Public safety officials at the local, state and federal levels are working to trace where in the United States the items were seized and all the individuals who may have been involved,” Lucas said.

Sgt. Phil DiMartino of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department confirmed that two people had been taken into custody. The BBC, citing sources, reported that two arrests had been made. Authorities said the incident occurred at some point Friday night, according to NPR.

The vehicles transporting the equipment arrived in Kansas City without some of the gear, the BBC reported. Footwear and soccer balls were among the items taken, but the missing equipment did not include anything “game-critical,” according to the BBC. It was not immediately clear exactly when the items were stolen or how they were recovered.

England was scheduled to arrive at Swope Soccer Village around 5 p.m. local time Saturday, CBS News reported, and to hold its first training session Sunday. NPR reported that England was scheduled to conduct its first open training session at Swope Soccer Village later Saturday, though storms threatened to disrupt the event. The session was due to be open to media and selected community members.

The Three Lions are using Kansas City as their base camp even though they do not play group-stage matches there. NPR reported that the team chose the Midwestern city because of its central location. England’s opening match against Croatia on Wednesday outside Dallas is about a 90-minute flight away, while matches against Ghana in Boston and Panama in New Jersey are no more than three hours away. The West Coast is also reachable for potential knockout games.

Swope Soccer Village previously served as a training site for Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City and is home to the club’s second-division team and academy programs. The England flag was already flying at the facility, where a sign reads, “The Home of England.”

The England delegation has taken over a boutique hotel in Prairie Village, Kansas, for its accommodations, NPR reported. Defending champion Argentina and the Netherlands are also based in Kansas City, while Algeria is in nearby Lawrence, Kansas.