England’s World Cup charter plane was part of Trump’s ICE fleet | Football | Sport

England travelled to Missouri aboard a charter aircraft previously used by ICE to carry out Donald Trump’s controversial immigration crackdown ahead of the World Cup. The World Cup is finally up and running, with one of the tournament’s most stunning results already in the books after Spain were held to a draw by Cape Verde on Monday, leaving the United States’ group wide open following a remarkable turn of events.

Thomas Tuchel’s England side do not kick off until Wednesday, but the Three Lions’ preparations have already been hit by a series of setbacks. Before their first training session on American soil, England — widely regarded as one of the tournament’s leading contenders — had boots stolen from the squad.

The theft occurred while the load was in transit from West Palm Beach in Florida to England’s Swope Soccer Village base in Missouri. Thieves made off with training balls and other vital equipment, with the footwear of key players – including Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham – also among the items taken.

England were transported to Missouri aboard a charter aircraft on Saturday, and according to the Daily Mail, the plane formed part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s ‘ICE Air’ fleet. ICE holds a contract with charter firm GlobalX, which has previously deployed the very same aircraft to deport migrants to countries including Haiti, Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala.

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page

The very aircraft used by England had previously featured in the notorious video shared by President Trump, which depicted alleged Venezuelan criminals arriving in the Caribbean. Released in March 2025, the footage showed prisoners being forcibly removed from the plane by heavily armed El Salvadoran authorities.

The flights sparked significant controversy at the time, with the aircraft departing from ICE’s base in Harlingen, Texas. As the plane carrying England returned to its home base in Miami, other GlobalX aircraft were continuing their routine operations, including one completing the journey from Guatemala City to Alexandria, Louisiana, where ICE runs a 400-bed staging facility for deportees.

England had been enjoying a pre-tournament training camp in Florida, securing victories over New Zealand and Costa Rica before travelling to Kansas. However, $18,000 (£13k) worth of equipment was stolen from delivery vehicles, among it Tuchel’s analysis equipment and whiteboards, with even the conditioning staff’s massage tables yet to arrive.

The theft now threatens to seriously disrupt England’s preparations ahead of their World Cup opener against Croatia, with staff working frantically to recover or source replacements for the missing items before their campaign kicks off. England are among the favourites for World Cup glory and will be based in Kansas City for the tournament, although their group stage fixtures are scheduled in Dallas, Boston, and New Jersey.

Consequently, the English Football Association will need to continue chartering flights throughout the competition, with the nearest venue – Dallas – more than an hour’s flight from the squad’s base.

England’s opening fixture is a clash with Croatia – a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final in Russia – at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, June 17.