Demolition greets Sweden at its World Cup base camp during FC Dallas renovation project

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — No, a storm didn't roll through Sweden's base camp at the World Cup. It's just a home renovation.

The Swedes were taken by surprise seeing mangled metal and other demolished construction material on one side of Toyota Stadium — the home of MLS team FC Dallas — during their training session Wednesday night.

“I just thought, ‘what happened?’ As far as I knew there hadn’t been any storm,” Sweden midfielder Besfort Zeneli told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.

That scheduled work, done earlier in the day before Sweden's session, is part of a years-long renovation project at the stadium.

That area has been blocked off since before Sweden started using the stadium as its base camp after arriving in the United States in early June. The construction has had no impact on the pitch or any facilities being used by the team in Frisco, Texas, about 30 miles north of downtown Dallas.

Still, that very visible demolition from the latest work caught some players by surprise when they arrived for training ahead of their final Group F match against Japan.

FC Dallas said in a statement Thursday that the work “was part of a planned and controlled demolition within an active construction zone. The work was conducted using a pull-down demolition method and did not involve explosives.”

No one was injured.

The renovation project, being done in phases, began in early 2025 with full completion expected before the start of the 2028 MLS season. FC Dallas is still playing regular-season games there during the renovation.

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Demolition is visible to the stands at Toyota Stadium, home of MLS soccer's FC Dallas, as Sweden players participate in a training session ahead of their World Cup Group F soccer match against Japan, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Demolition is visible to the stands at Toyota Stadium, home of MLS soccer's FC Dallas, as Sweden players participate in a training session ahead of their World Cup Group F soccer match against Japan, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Sweden goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt, left, and Sweden goalkeeper Viktor Johansson participate in a training session ahead of their World Cup Group F soccer match against Japan, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Demolition is visible to the stands at Toyota Stadium, home of MLS soccer's FC Dallas, as Sweden's Taha Ali, far right, tries to get to his head on the ball during a a training session ahead of Sweden's World Cup Group F soccer match against Japan, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — England fought its way back into the match with a flurry of late wickets after Tom Latham and Devon Conway had put on a mammoth 317 for New Zealand's first wicket on Day 1 of the third and final test on Thursday.

The Latham-Conway run fest made for a nightmarish return to the England team after disciplinary issues for captain Ben Stokes, who was part of an attack that was flayed to all parts of the ground on a flat, docile pitch at Trent Bridge.

With the series level at 1-1, Latham won the toss and went on to power his way to a 17th test century and an innings of 151 to help New Zealand reach 361-4 at stumps.

It was a welcome return to form for Latham after he had scored only 34 runs in four previous innings this series.

The opening stand was the highest by New Zealand in a test match in England — the country's first against England since 1930 — and the seventh of 200 runs or more by Kiwi openers in test history.

Latham's fellow left-hander Conway was also in imperious form, compiling his eighth test century on the way to a knock of 157.

The two Kiwis have pedigree, too. They put on 323 for the first wicket against West Indies at Mount Maunganui in December.

Stokes, back in the team along with Gus Atkinson after they were dropped for the second test, could do little about it as the New Zealand openers made England toil on a baking hot day when uncommon temperatures in Britain were up to 31 C (88 F).

Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir could have nabbed the wicket of Conway for 71 after lunch — when the score was 157-0 — after hitting his pad before bat in front of the stumps. England failed to review for lbw, though, when replays showed it was plumb.

Some of New Zealand's optimism generated from a dominant 253-run win in last week's second test at The Oval might have been punctured by losing two key players — top-ranked test bowler Matt Henry and middle-order batter Glenn Phillips — because of injury. Paceman Kyle Jamieson was also rested to manage his workload after recent back problems.

Jamie Smith dropped a simple chance when Latham was on 129 but the wicketkeeper made amends by catching the New Zealand captain off the bowling of Stokes.

Conway followed two runs later, with the score on 319, when he was caught in the deep off part-time spinner Joe Root.

England had looked to be down and out but suddenly they were revitalised and Smith took another catch behind the stumps off Atkinson after Rachin Ravindra had sliced the ball high into the air when on 7.

The home team's revival got even better when, off the final ball of the day, Jofra Archer had Henry Nicholls caught by Smith for 36.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

England's Jofra Archer wipes his face with a towel, during day one of the Third Test cricket match between England and New Zealand, in Nottingham, England, Thursday June 25, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

New Zealand's Devon Conway bats, during day one of the Third Test cricket match between England and New Zealand, in Nottingham, England, Thursday June 25, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Ben Stokes prepares for a nets session at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, ahead of the third cricket test match against New Zealand, in Nottingham, England, Wednesday June 24, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)