By DAVE SKRETTA and JAMES ROBSON
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two people were detained in connection with the theft of equipment from the England national team’s vehicles during a move from its pre-training base in Florida to Kansas City, where the Three Lions will have their permanent World Cup base camp.
The English Football Association confirmed the theft to The Associated Press on Saturday but did not provide more information due to the ongoing police investigation. Authorities said the incident took place at some point Friday night.
Sgt. Phil DiMartino of the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department confirmed two people were taken into custody. Authorities also said that most of the missing gear — none of it essential to the team’s preparations — had been recovered.
“Yesterday, officials in Kansas City learned at some point between their over-the-road transport from Florida to their arrival at the training facility in Kansas City, goods belonging to the English national team were stolen,” said Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, who has become the city’s de facto spokesperson for World Cup activities.
“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.
England’s charter jet arrived in Kansas City shortly around noon Saturday, and the team was greeted at its upscale boutique hotel in Prairie Village, Kansas, by the drum corps, cheerleaders and mascot of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
After checking into the hotel, The Three Lions headed to an open training session at Swope Soccer Village, where MLS club Sporting Kansas City once trained, and where its second-division team and academy programs are still based. The England flag was flying above the complex, and a large sign stated that it was “The Home of England.”
Hundreds of fans and dozens of reporters greeted the team on a hot, humid afternoon for the community training session.
Even though England does not play group games in Kansas City, it made its base there due to its central location. Its opening game against Croatia on Wednesday in Dallas is only about a 90-minute flight, matches against Ghana in Boston and Panama in New Jersey are about three hours away, while the West Coast is easily reachable for potential knockout games.
Defending champion Argentina and the Netherlands also are based in Kansas City. Algeria is in neighboring Lawrence, Kansas.
___
James Robson reported from Atlanta. He is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson