Defender Ben White’s mystery four-year England absence finally ends

By: James Robson, The Associated Press Posted: 7:41 AM CDT Monday, Mar. 23, 2026 Last Modified: 12:34 PM CDT Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

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MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Arsenal defender Ben White is back in the England squad for the first time since walking out on the team midway through the last World Cup.

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MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Arsenal defender Ben White is back in the England squad for the first time since walking out on the team midway through the last World Cup.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/03/2026 (196 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Arsenal defender Ben White is back in the England squad for the first time since walking out on the team midway through the last World Cup.

White was called up by national coach Thomas Tuchel on Monday for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan as a replacement for the injured Jarell Quansah. White previously made himself unavailable to England following his premature departure from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and never publicly declared why.

Former coach Gareth Southgate wanted 28-year-old White before the 2024 European Championship but was unable to persuade him.

FILE - Arsenal's Ben White, left, duels for the ball with Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Bournemouth in London, on May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

“For me, that is a great shame,” Southgate said at the time. “He would be in this squad but he’s not available to us and I have to focus on who can help us.”

White left the 2022 World Cup early for what the English Football Association said were “personal reasons.”

His exit was sudden, shortly before England’s first game of the knockout stages. At the time, the FA asked that “the player’s privacy is respected” without giving further detail.

Southgate later dismissed reports there was a problem between White and then-England assistant Steve Holland, and his prolonged absence from the national team remained a mystery.

Tuchel took over from Southgate last year and said he would reach out to the Arsenal player, who has remained one of the top defenders in the Premier League.

White’s call-up raises the potential of him being part of England’s squad for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

White has previously spoken of his unusual attitude to soccer, revealing that he rarely watches matches.

“I just loved the game, I was always playing it, never watching it,” he told Sky Sports in 2021.

If he plays against Uruguay on Friday or Japan the following Tuesday — both at Wembley — it will be his first England appearance since his fourth cap against Ivory Coast in March 2022.