England's Stolen FIFA World Cup Gear Worth 17 Lakh Recovered As US Police Nab Two Culprits

Last Updated:June 14, 2026, 15:18 IST

Two men charged in Missouri with receiving stolen England team equipment worth about 18000, items were recovered and players confirmed their kit was returned.

Two men have been charged after equipment belonging to the England football team was stolen during the squad’s move from Florida to its World Cup base in Kansas City.

According to prosecutors in Jackson County, Missouri, Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal each face one count of receiving stolen property. The stolen items are estimated to be worth around $18,000 (₹17,15,012 approx), and the offence carries a potential prison sentence of up to seven years under Missouri law.

Prosecutor’s Statement

“Jackson County will not tolerate any criminal activity that targets World Cup visitors, including the international teams that have travelled here to compete."

“We thank the Kansas City Police Department and our on-call attorneys for their quick work investigating this incident and filing charges immediately."

Authorities said the theft occurred while England’s equipment was being transferred from the team’s training camp in Florida to Kansas City before the squad arrived. Court documents reportedly state that recovered items included football boots, goalkeeper gloves, training apparel, electronics, signed jerseys and other merchandise.

Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas praised the investigation, saying police and prosecutors had worked quickly to recover the goods and pursue charges.

Henderson On Recovery

England goalkeeper Dean Henderson confirmed that his belongings had been returned.

“I got them back, so it’s all good."

“I think they got everything back, so it’s all good."

Burn On The Incident

Defender Dan Burn said players had not initially been fully aware of the situation but were relieved that their kit had been recovered.

“Obviously it was to do with the police."

“So I don’t know how much people know about it. We didn’t know a lot about it, but I’ve got all my kit and all my boots."

England, coached by Thomas Tuchel, held a light training session in Kansas City on Saturday as preparations continued for their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Croatia on Wednesday. The team will also face Ghana and Panama in Group L.

(With inputs from Agencies)

About the Author

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for over a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket conten...Read More

News sports football England's Stolen FIFA World Cup Gear Worth 17 Lakh Recovered As US Police Nab Two Culprits

Read More