Lego and Two Plush Lions Among Items Stolen from England Camp

Two plush lions, a Lego set, and several expensive football boots were among the items stolen from the England national team's camp in Kansas City ahead of the World Cup, DPA reports.

After a smooth, injury-free preparation in Florida, the "Three Lions" faced an unexpected hurdle in the Midwest. Upon their arrival at the training base in Kansas City, it was discovered that some of the team's equipment was missing. City Mayor Quinton Lucas stated that "local, state, and federal" officials were working on the "in-transit theft of the English national team's equipment."

Jackson County Prosecutor Melissa Johnson has charged two men, Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal, in connection with the incident, facing up to seven years in prison for the theft.

Court documents list four pairs of football boots and five pairs of shoes, along with signed England national team jerseys, a World Cup ball, and a pair of goalkeeper gloves. Other stolen items include two plush lions and a Lego set depicting Nike Air shoes.

The Football Association of England previously announced that most of the stolen equipment had been recovered before the first training session at Swope Soccer Village.

When asked if his boots and gloves had made it to Kansas City, reserve goalkeeper Dean Henderson smiled and replied, "Yes, thankfully. I think they were stolen, but I have them back now, so it's all good."

England is set to kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign on Wednesday against Croatia, with Panama and Ghana completing Group L, BTA reminds.