Ben White says he has no complaints about boos and stands by Qatar exit

Leaving the 2022 squad

Ben White left England's camp at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, citing personal reasons. That exit followed what has been reported as a fallout with assistant manager Steve Holland. White then made himself unavailable for selection for the rest of Gareth Southgate's time in charge. The Arsenal defender, now 29 and with six England caps according to the BBC, has never gone into detail about what happened in Qatar. He says he stands by the decision, which he is not happy about but would probably still make.

Booed at Wembley

White returned under Thomas Tuchel and came on as a substitute in the 1-1 draw with Uruguay at Wembley on 27 March 2026, his first England appearance in almost four years. Sections of the crowd booed him when he came on. He then scored, and later gave away a late penalty that led to Uruguay's equaliser. Chelsea midfielder Jordan Henderson said the England players would always support him, according to the BBC. Tuchel has ignored the negative reaction, and has said White deserves a new chapter and positive feedback from the crowd.

What White says

White told BBC Radio 5 Live that he believes fans would not boo him if they knew the full story, and he does not think he would change his decision. He told talkSPORT he would not talk negatively about anyone or throw anyone under the bus. He described himself as quite real, saying he was a bit younger when he made the decision and is a bit older now.

“Everyone can do whatever they want. You know, it's fine with me.”

White said people do not know the full story because he has never said anything about it.

“I think people don't know the full story because I've never said anything and won't put anyone under the bus or share any of that.”

He has also said it is time to move on from the decision.

“It's one that I'm not happy about, but obviously it happened, it's time to move on.”

Fitness and the 2026 World Cup

The Guardian reports that Tuchel's hopes of taking White to the 2026 World Cup were dashed by a knee injury at the end of the previous season. That injury ruled him out of the tournament, and he missed a camp in October because of injury. White can play at right-back and in central defence, and the Guardian notes he would probably have been part of the squad had he been fit.

Next fixtures

England play Croatia at Wembley on Thursday, 12 November in the Nations League, and face Spain in Madrid three days later. The BBC reports White has been named in Tuchel's squad for both matches. He is competing to start at right-back against Croatia, according to The New York Times. White is looking to add to his six England caps during this international break.