Although Ben White once imagined his return to the England national team in some way, he certainly did not think of a scenario as opposite as at Wembley.
Being booed by a part of the audience when entering the field from the bench in the 69th minute, the Arsenal defender still managed to leave his mark with his first international goal. However, instead of receiving support, he even had to endure more boos after this goal.
And right at the moment when it seemed that goal would help England keep the victory after an unconvincing performance, White became the focus when he fouled in injury time. The decision to award a penalty after consulting VAR opened up an opportunity for Federico Valverde, who made no mistake to seal the 1-1 draw for Uruguay right at Wembley Stadium.
Even before entering the field, White's presence on the call-up list caused much controversy. He has not worn the national team jersey since leaving the 2022 World Cup early for personal reasons, according to an announcement from the FA.
However, many sources say that this defender had a conflict with a member of the coaching staff. Although coach Gareth Southgate then denied it, White still refused to join the national team for a long time.
Things only changed in this gathering, when Thomas Tuchel called him up at the last minute due to Jarell Quansah's injury. The German strategist explained this decision with the view that "everyone deserves a second chance", but clearly not all of the more than 80,000 spectators at Wembley agreed.
After the match, Tuchel admitted he was disappointed to hear the news that White was booed, and emphasized that the team needed to protect their players. He also said that this was not the opinion of the majority, but just a reaction from a small group of spectators.
White's erratic performance partly reflects the overall face of the "Three Lions". Before he entered the field, the home team played without ideas and did not create enough pressure. Phil Foden was given a chance in the number 10 position but could not make a difference, even had to leave the field due to injury after a strong collision.
Besides, the match also caused controversy with many decisions by referee Sven Jablonski. Notably, the situation where Manuel Ugarte seemed to receive two yellow cards but was not sent off, along with the penalty at the end of the match that was strongly reacted to by the England team. Harry Maguire even called this a "ridiculous decision".
However, Tuchel still maintains an optimistic attitude when saying that the team has learned a lot from a difficult opponent like Uruguay. He considers this an important test step in the process of preparing for the 2026 World Cup.
This match also witnessed some notable milestones. James Trafford and James Garner made their national debut, while Fikayo Tomori returned after more than two years of absence, and Maguire and Dominic Calvert-Lewin also marked their return after a long time.
In an evening full of mixed emotions, Ben White is probably the name that left the clearest mark. But it was a comeback that was both memorable and controversial, in a way that he himself could hardly have foreseen.
