Tanzania, June 13 -- Kansas City. England's preparations for their World Cup opener have been disrupted after a large amount of team equipment was stolen from a transport vehicle in Kansas City, US authorities and media reports have confirmed.

According to reports from UK and international media, the incident occurred as the squad's equipment was being moved to their training base at Swope Soccer Village ahead of their first training session in the city.

Items believed to have been taken include players' match boots, training footballs and other essential kit used for preparation.

However, some reports indicate that key personalised boots and elite performance gear may not have been among the stolen items, with investigations still ong...