Samira Vishwas
Tezzbuzz|13-06-2026
Ahead of their opening game against Croatia in FIFA World Cup 2026, the England football team was hit by theft of players’ boots, training gear and tournament footballs.
According to reports, the England team was left with just one football for training after the incident that happened in transit. England face Croatia in a Group L game on June 17 in Dallas.
What police said
The Kansas City Police Department in the US has confirmed that they have taken two persons into custody pending further investigation.
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“We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening. Two subjects of interest were taken into custody pending further investigation,” police said.
Tournament footballs and vital training equipment have been taken, with just one football left, leaving staff in a scramble to replace the equipment immediately, Daily Mail reported.
The theft happened when equipment were being transported from West Palm Beach in Florida to Swope Soccer Village base in Missouri, Kansas City.
FIFA’s statement on empty seats
Meanwhile, FIFA has blamed the empty seats during the World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, Mexico, on fans who watched from the concourses, Associated Press (AP) reported.
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There were many visible empty spots at the 45,664-capacity Guadalajara Stadium, with sections in the middle of the stands showing many unoccupied spaces and with other empty seats scattered around the venue.
The announced attendance was 44,985 — including FIFA President Gianni Infantino.“Official attendance figures reflect the number of tickets scanned and spectators present within the stadium footprint, rather than visual assessments of seating occupancy at any given moment during the match,” FIFA said, adding that it works closely with stadium authorities and ticketing teams to ensure all published figures are based on verified operational data.
“Please note that, during last night’s match in Guadalajara, several ticketed fans could be seen standing in concourses rather than staying in their assigned seats throughout the match,” the governing body of world football said.
