And so, boasting 74% possession and 10 shots to Haiti’s none, Scotland made their long-awaited return to the World Cup with an authoritative, if not spectacular, victory.

Here’s hoping EA FC 26 got this one right when the real-life final whistle sounds at around 4am tomorrow.

England have reportedly fallen victim to a brazen World Cup theft ahead of their opening clash against Croatia next week, with players’ boots and vital training equipment said to have been ‘stolen in transit. ‘ The Three Lions relocated their training base from West Palm Beach in Florida to Swope Soccer Village in Missouri, when the alleged raid is understood to have occurred.

The Daily Mail reports that official tournament footballs and essential training kit have gone missing, leaving backroom staff in a frantic search for replacements. England will be calling Swope Soccer Village home for the next three weeks as they bid to progress beyond the group stage.

Express Sport understands two arrests have been made and a police investigation is ongoing. The FA have been approached for comment.

Thomas Tuchel’s side were due to train in Kansas City for the first time on Saturday, June 13, though an investigation is now under way to establish exactly what has been taken. According to the report, just a single football was left behind following the theft, while unconfirmed claims suggest the boots of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and others have also been taken.

It represents a significant setback for England’s tournament preparations, particularly given the encouraging pre-competition camp they had enjoyed in Miami.

An inquiry is ongoing to establish precisely what equipment remains, with the FA said to be working alongside local police in a bid to recover the stolen items.

The report suggests that England staff carefully packed vital equipment ahead of the move to Missouri, including analysis gear, Tuchel’s whiteboards and massage tables, only to be left stunned when the items failed to arrive in Kansas City.

Staff are now frantically working to source replacement equipment before Tuchel’s squad takes to the training pitch later today.

Tuchel had been buoyed by England’s preparations in Miami, having secured victories over Costa Rica 3-0 and Miami FC 6-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly.

“We get some minutes into the legs – game minutes, not training minutes – for the three players who didn’t play, for the guys who came for just 22 minutes plus extra time,” the England boss said.

“We can manage that. We can manage the game time. It will very likely be not more than two x 30 minutes or something like this.

“Then the players get one and a half days off, not only physically but also mentally to switch off. Well deserved.

“Then we start the next chunk of the tournament, which is the group stage, and we change location, which I’m looking forward to – not because we didn’t like it here (in Florida), it was excellent here and at the highest level.

“But it is nice to change scenery and give it a new frame for the next period of the tournament, which is then full focus on the group stage.”

Premier League referee Michael Oliver has withdrawn from his opening match at the World Cup following an injury setback. The Geordie official had been appointed to take charge of the clash between Ecuador and the Ivory Coast in Philadelphia in the early hours of Monday morning.

However, a FIFA statement has confirmed that Oliver has been replaced for the Group E encounter. Frenchman Francois Letexier will instead take charge of the match.

A FIFA statement read: “Appointment change: Due to a minor injury, referee Michael Oliver (ENG) has been replaced by Francois Letexier (FRA). Oliver is expected to be available for selection again in the coming days.”

His withdrawal also means UK officials Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, who were set to run the line, will likewise miss out in Philadelphia. FIFA have confirmed that Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni have been drafted in alongside the vastly experienced Letexier.

Khalid Alturais and Mohammed Alabakrv of Saudi Arabia will remain as the fourth official and reserve assistant.

Oliver, who has officiated at the highest level in the Champions League, the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024, spoke two years ago about the thrill of taking charge at major tournaments. Ahead of the Euros, he said: “The eyes of the world are on this tournament.”

“You get a sense when you arrive at the stadium that the atmosphere is different. The pressure, the competition, and the quality of matches are all higher.

“You’re aware of that pressure, but you just try to prepare the best you can and make sure you’re ready for it. There’s a perception that we turn up five minutes before kick-off, leave straight after, and don’t think about football for a week.

“But we put so much training and work into it, to be the best, to limit mistakes. Nobody needs to tell me after a game how well I’ve done – or not. I know that more than anybody.”

Oliver has been an international referee since 2012, and has been part of UEFA’s Elite Group since 2018. The experienced official is expected to return for the next round of group matches.