Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, did not fail to comment on the high-profile incident involving the England national team in the run-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US. She traditionally used the cultural and sporting event as an opportunity for yet another dose of political satire directed at the Western media.
What has happened to the England team?
Before the English team’s first training session in Kansas City, thieves broke into a van that was transporting equipment from Florida. The brazenness of the thieves is astonishing: of all the equipment in the van, only just one goal.
The team's losses include:
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The official tournament balls;
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Training equipment;
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Footballers' boots (in particular, there are fears that the captain's unique pair of boots has gone missing) Harry Kane and the star midfielder Jude Bellingham).
As a reminder, during the group stage World Cup 2026 The England team is set to face Croatia, Ghana and Panama, and the team’s management now has to sort out the kit situation as a matter of urgency.
Reaction from the Russian Foreign Ministry: a dig at the BBC and its «younger brothers»
Maria Zakharova recalled old grievances against the British media, in particular against the TV channel BBC, who had previously released a documentary about the violence of Russian ultras. A spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry suggested that British journalists produce a similar «investigative report», but this time focusing on the situation in the US.
«I’m looking forward to the BBC’s investigative documentary titled “American Football Hooligans”. Following the example of how they made a smear film about Russian fans, who merely showered them with their love rather than robbing them, unlike their younger transatlantic counterparts,» the media quote Zakharova as saying.
In her statement, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, as usual, combined irony with accusations of double standards against the West and an attempt to portray Russian fans as exclusively «friendly», contrasting this with the criminal situation in the United States.
The British side and the Football Association (FA) are currently focused on player safety and the recovery of lost property, and have not issued any official response to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s remarks.
