Prosecutors in Jackson County, Missouri, have charged two Texas men with one felony count each of receiving stolen property following the theft of equipment from the England soccer team during the FIFA World Cup.
The defendants are Mustafa Salik, 40, and Erfan Kamal, 36. The misdemeanor charge could result in a prison sentence of up to seven years if convicted.
Bail was set at $75,000. They were being held at the Jackson County Detention Center as of Sunday morning.
“Jackson County will not tolerate any criminal activity targeting World Cup attendees, including the international teams that travel here to compete,” said Jackson Prosecutor Melesa Johnson. “We thank the Kansas City Police Department and our on-call attorneys for their quick work in promptly filing charges.”
The men allegedly stole about $18,000 worth of equipment during the team’s move from a training site in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, to the World Cup base camp in Kansas City.
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The items were not part of the game day essentials. KCUR in Kansas City reported that the stolen equipment included autographed jerseys, apparel, cleats and two stuffed animals – lions that reflect the team’s name: Three Lions.
Much of the equipment has been returned to England.
England, ranked No. 4 in the world, chose Kansas City as its base camp because of its central location in the US.
The Three Lions’ Group L opener is against Croatia on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas. England also play Ghana on June 23 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Panama on June 27 in East Rutherford, NJ.
Published on June 14, 2026
