• The England football squad fell victim to a brazen robbery which saw players’ boots and training kit stolen while in transit. The theft took place as the team moved their tournament training base from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Kansas City in Missouri.

• The Football Association is working closely with local law enforcement to investigate the incident and retrieve the stolen items. Two suspects have been arrested, with police confirming that enquiries remain ‘ongoing’, as backroom staff face a frantic race to replace the missing equipment ahead of scheduled training sessions.

• Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been refused entry into Canada ahead of Ghana’s opening fixture against Panama in Toronto. “FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, June 17, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government,” a FIFA statement read. Ghana’s football association may have grounds to lodge an appeal, however Partey remains at the squad’s base camp in Boston in the meantime.

• FOX Sports pundit Alexi Lalas left co-hosts Thierry Henry and Rebecca Lowe visibly taken aback after uttering a British expletive live on air. The colourful remark came during a segment previewing James Corden’s forthcoming World Cup late-night programme.

• Donald Trump was absent for the United States national team’s commanding 4-1 triumph over Paraguay. The fixture took place during a hectic schedule of opening matches for the tournament.

• Canada battled to a 1-1 draw against Bosnia in another eagerly awaited clash. Both sides earned a single point as the group stage competition heats up.

• Broadcasters are confronting a surge of fan complaints about the standard of the tournament’s television coverage. Viewers have voiced dissatisfaction over the highlights packages delivered by major networks during the opening days.

• FOLLOW OUR LIVE COVERAGE: World Cup LIVE: Police launch investigation into England theft

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Wayne Rooney accused Argentine referee Facundo Raul of a serious error during Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Group B encounter in Toronto saw Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj charge towards forward Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi before hitting the deck after the keeper’s two fists made contact with the back of his head.

However, Raul declined to classify the incident as “serious foul play” and opted against dismissing the St. Pauli shot-stopper. During post-match analysis, Rooney was adamant that a penalty and a red card should have been issued to the goalkeeper during the opening fixture for the co-hosts. Former Premier League official and BBC refereeing expert Cann offered his explanation for why Raul made the call in the second half, stating: “First of all, offside was given. But even without the offside, in my opinion, it’s not a penalty, and it’s not a red card.

“The goalkeeper clearly plays the ball first and there’s just inevitable contact after that, so it’s not serious foul play. The ‘keeper clearly wins the ball and for me, that’s clearly not a red card.”

Rooney, however, hit back: “It’s a red card. Even though he’s offside, we’ve seen it before where players have gone through as offside or the whistle has gone and a still a red card. It’s very dangerous play. I know he wins the ball, but he follows through.

“He hits him in the temple – that’s the worst place you can get hit. You can get knocked out. He might come back in a week’s time and have a delayed concussion. Look at his neck – that a clear red card. You see players win the ball and it’s with a reasonable force. They follow through and then they get a red card. It’s exactly the same but with his hands, it’s easier to move your hands back than it is your leg.”

Cann hit back, arguing: “Not in my opinion at all, Wayne. It’s a goalkeeper winning the ball, and there’s just inevitable contact. There’s no brutality in that challenge.”

Former France and Arsenal frontman Olivier Giroud also waded into the debate, commenting: “As a striker, I would have been frustrated to not get a penalty on that one. On the other hand, I understand what Darren says. You hit the ball first and it is hard for him to get his hands off the striker’s head.”

England have confirmed that Alex Scott, Ethan Nwaneri, Rio Ngumoha and Josh King have all departed the squad following their involvement in the World Cup warm-up fixtures. Head coach Thomas Tuchel opted to include the four youngsters to strengthen the numbers during the squad’s stint in Florida.

England are due to travel to their base in Kansas City on Saturday as they turn their attention to their tournament opener against Croatia on Wednesday night (9pm). In the build-up to the game, the team has taken part in three warm-up matches. The Three Lions emerged victorious with a 1-0 win over New Zealand last Saturday, before following that up with a commanding 3-0 victory over Costa Rica on Wednesday night.

The third fixture was a behind-closed-doors friendly against Miami FC at England’s training base, with reports suggesting the side ran out 6-0 winners, with both Nwaneri and Ngumoha getting their names on the scoresheet. In a post on England’s official social media channels, a photograph of all four players was shared alongside a message reading: “An important part of our preparations so far. Thanks to Alex Scott, Ethan Nwaneri, Rio Ngumoha and Josh King who depart at the conclusion of our camp in Florida.”

Upon confirming the four players joining the squad, Tuchel outlined the rationale behind the selection. “We will take some young players out who will train with us in the size of the squad that we need, and we have the two friendly matches to take care of the minutes and the load on the players,” he said.

“I’m happy to have these players, especially Alex (Scott) who was on the list of 55 and obviously he didn’t make the first cut but the reaction of him was outstanding and the commitment and wish to be in pre-camp and a step closer to the team was not even a question for him.

“That showed me his character and I’m delighted he’ll be with us because that was a close call and he gets a chance to get a step closer and a cap.”

All four players will be looking to build upon their experience when they rejoin their clubs during pre-season. Should they continue to shine in the Premier League, further England call-ups will undoubtedly follow in due course.