Toney scores hat-trick in England friendly win

England's World Cup preparations continued with a mix of training and leisure activities. After a 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas, the squad traveled to Kansas City, where manager Thomas Tuchel, captain Harry Kane, and defenders Dan Burn and Djed Spence attended a baseball game. Tuchel threw the ceremonial first pitch at Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals. Kane later shared the experience on social media, expressing his enjoyment of the trip.

Meanwhile, England secured a comprehensive 5-1 victory over MLS side Sporting KC in a closed-door friendly on Thursday. Ivan Toney scored a hat-trick, while Aston Villa duo Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins also found the net. The match was arranged for players who needed game time, featuring those who did not play or had limited minutes in the win over Croatia.

Played at England's Swope Soccer Village training facility, the friendly consisted of two halves of approximately 25 minutes each. Participants included Burn, Jordan Henderson, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, Kobbie Mainoo, Spence, and Jarell Quansah. The Football Association organized the game to provide minutes for fringe players.

After returning from Dallas around 10:30 pm local time on Wednesday, most players had Thursday off. They were allowed to meet with family and friends immediately after the Croatia game, and loved ones had access to the camp on Thursday before preparations began for Tuesday's match against Ghana in Boston (21:00 BST).