Texas truck drivers charged in theft of England soccer gear. See what was taken
Two Texas truck drivers were charged Saturday night in the theft of $18,000 worth of soccer gear from the English World Cup team while moving the items from Florida to Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.
Brothers Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal, both of San Antonio, each face one count of receiving stolen property, the prosecutor’s office said. They face one to seven years in prison if convicted of the class D felony.
Kansas City police arrived about 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Swope Soccer Village after a report of a theft. The English national soccer team is set to train at the Kansas City facility while staying in a Prairie Village hotel for the World Cup.
Allegedly, about 30 minutes earlier, a logistics employee noticed items were missing from a trailer containing soccer gear and memorabilia. The logistics worker asked Kamal to search the cabin, or he would call the police. Kamal eventually went into the cab of the truck and handed over the items, before driving away with his brother Salik.
Kamal and Salik said they worked for a trucking company and picked up the team’s gear in Florida, according to court documents. The English team was preparing for friendly games in Palm Beach.
England World Cup gear stolen
When questioned by Kansas City police, the brothers said they had permission to take the items.
In Florida, Kamal said the brothers allegedly helped load the gear into a tractor trailer, where Salik witnessed another person steal shoes.
At that time, Kamal said his brother reached out to the English Football Association and an employee allegedly told the truck drivers to “take what they wanted,” according to the affidavit.
In Columbia, Missouri, Salik and Kamal said they pulled over to an exit and moved items from the back of the truck into the cab.
All the items were recovered quickly.
“It did not impact the team in any way,” an England press officer said. “It didn’t impact training or anything. It was all resolved, by all accounts. ... It was probably blown into more than it was.”
The brothers were being held Sunday in the Jackson County Detention Center at $75,000 bond each.
The police report listed the following items that were in the cab of the truck.
- 4 pairs of cleats with a total value of $1,340.60
- 5 pairs of shoes with a total value of $1,139.50
- 1 red jersey signed by the team valued at $5,000
- 2 white jerseys signed by the team valued at $5,000 each
- 1 World Cup soccer ball valued at $214.50
- 1 pair of goalkeeper gloves valued at $160.87
- 4 pairs of navy shirts and shorts for the team with no value given
- 4 pairs of light blue shirts and shorts for the team with no value given
- Power strips valued at $40
- 1 JBL speaker valued at $149.95
- 1 Lego set of Nike shoes valued at $149.95
- 2 lion stuff animals with not value given
This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 10:38 AM.
