England played out a 1-1 draw with Uruguay in a pre-World Cup friendly match on Friday, in a game marked by controversy surrounding Ben White. The Arsenal defender, recalled to the squad four years after walking out on the team, came off the bench to score what seemed a winner, only to concede a penalty in stoppage time that allowed Uruguay to equalize. His appearance was met with boos from some of the 80,000 fans at Wembley.

England coach Thomas Tuchel addressed White's situation, stating, "He needs to take it on the chin. We will always protect him, and hopefully we can put it behind [us] because he is ready to write some new chapters and we are ready to give him the chance." However, the penalty decision left the team furious, with Tuchel declaring it "not a penalty" after a video review confirmed the foul.

In other matches, Germany twice came from behind to beat Switzerland 4-3, with Florian Wirtz scoring two goals and providing two assists in a standout performance. Spain defeated Serbia 3-0, with Mikel Oyarzabal netting two impressive goals, while the Netherlands extended their unbeaten run to nine games with a 2-1 win over Norway. Algeria thrashed Guatemala 7-0, Egypt beat Saudi Arabia 4-0, and Morocco drew 1-1 with Ecuador.

These friendlies serve as final preparations for the upcoming World Cup in June and July, with teams fine-tuning tactics and squad selections. The results highlight both promising form and lingering issues for several contenders, setting the stage for a competitive tournament.

Source: www.aljazeera.com