It was revealed by Gareth Southgate that Ben White turned down the opportunity to represent England during the upcoming international break.
Southgate said “we had a call saying Ben White didn’t want to be considered for England selection at this time.” The news has caused quite a stir, but he is not the first player to turn down a national call-up.
Here are some other players who have rejected playing for their country:
Jude Bellingham
Believe it or not in 2021, starlet Jude Bellingham personally requested to be omitted from the England squad when he was 18. He explained to Southgate that he was in need of a rest due to fixture congestion whilst playing for Borussia Dortmund. Southgate understood and gave him permission to rest up. Three years on, Bellingham is now a key member of the England set up and is due to play a key role at Euro 2024.
Guillermo Ochoa
The Mexican shot-stopper has made 148 appearances for his home country, but did refuse to join up with his national side. Despite some incredible performances in recent World Cups, earlier in his career he refused to travel with the squad unless he was guaranteed game time. He was dropped for his attitude, however was recalled and provided moments of magic for Mexico in the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cup. He made 25 saves in four games in 2018, the second most in the tournament. He also saved a penalty in the Qatar World Cup against Poland.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is arguably the best player in Swedish football history. In 2006, after turning up late for pre-match meetings, he was dropped by manager Lars Lagerback. In response, Ibrahimovic turned around and said he refused to be in contention for Sweden. This feud lasted for six months until he was introduced back into the fold. In total he scored 62 goals in 122 caps for his national side. Despite a six month absence, he is regarded as a national hero.
Johan Cruyff
Dutch great Johan Cruyff took a stand and put himself out of contention for the Netherlands squad for the 1978 World Cup, which was being held in Argentina. It was due to the Argentinian dictatorship at the time. He was welcomed back with open arms into the squad after the tournament and was commended for making a statement. Netherlands would make it all the way to the final but lost to the host nation Argentina.
Samuel Eto’o
A classy touch from Samuel Eto’o who took a stand in protest of some of his Cameroon teammates who had not been paid. Cameroon were due to play Algeria in a friendly and decided against participating. The striker is still considered a legend in Cameroon scoring 56 goals in 118 appearances. His influence was invaluable for Cameroon, but even more respect was put on his name for standing in solidarity for his teammates.
