Missouri: In a bizarre turn of events, two individuals have been taken into custody by law enforcement authorities investigating the suspected theft of equipment belonging to England's World Cup national soccer team in Kansas City, Missouri.

The English squad was scheduled to land at its designated preparatory headquarters at Swope Soccer Village on Saturday following the conclusion of its pre-tournament training sessions in Florida.

Members of the team's logistics staff reached the site ahead of the roster to arrange the base camp for the duration of the World Cup, prompting the Kansas City Police Department to report that property was absent from an official team vehicle.

The English Football Association confirmed the potential theft to The Associated Press but noted it was unable to offer additional commentary due to the active police inquiry.

Law enforcement officials stated that the occurrence took place on Friday evening.

“We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening,” police said in an official statement to The AP. “Two subjects of interest were taken into custody pending further investigation.”

Subsequent accounts on Saturday indicated that a portion of the missing gear had been retrieved, though police officials did not verify those claims.

England is scheduled to open its World Cup schedule against Croatia in a Group L fixture at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday.

The squad was slated to conduct its inaugural open practice session later Saturday at Swope Soccer Village, though severe thunderstorms threatened to disrupt the event, which was accessible to local residents.

Kansas City serves as a strategic headquarters due to its central geographic position, allowing the English delegation to avoid lengthy cross-country flights during the competition. Defending titleholder Argentina is likewise stationed in Kansas City, a municipality that has allocated more than $650 million toward soccer facilities over the last 15 years, according to Sporting Kansas City President and CEO Jake Reid.

With inputs from AP