England’s World Cup build-up has already had the kind of off-field disruption Thomas Tuchel would have wanted nowhere near his squad.
The national team’s kit and equipment was stolen from a vehicle while being transported from their pre-tournament camp in Florida to Kansas City, where England are based before their opener against Croatia.
The first reports made it clear that boots, balls and training gear had gone missing, creating an unwanted distraction before the serious football begins. Now two men have been charged in connection with the incident, and the total value of the stolen property has been revealed.
England’s stolen World Cup gear was worth $18,000
Craig Hope posted to X: “Two men charged in connection with theft of $18,000 worth of kit & equipment from England team.”
What was stolen from England included four pairs of football boots, one football, a pair of goalkeeper gloves and training kit, while three signed jerseys made up most of the listed value.
Those jerseys were valued at $15,000 in total, with one signed red shirt and two signed white shirts each listed at $5,000. The full list also included shoes, navy shirts, navy shorts, light blue training tops, two stuffed lions, power strips, a JBL speaker and a Lego set of a Nike Air shoe.
Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal have both been charged in connection with the case. The BBC claim each man faces one count of receiving stolen property, a class D felony under Missouri law.
The good news for England is that the majority of the stolen property is understood to have been recovered, and the Football Association has made it clear that nothing taken should impact preparations.
England’s first World Cup game is fast approaching. Tuchel’s side begin their campaign against Croatia on Wednesday, so it’s good to hear this off-pitch drama has been resolved.
