Ben White has resumed training with Arsenal following his early departure from England's World Cup camp in Qatar.

The 25-year-old returned home on November 30 "for personal reasons" without playing a single minute in any of England's three group matches.

Widespread reports suggested White's premature exit from England's Al Wakrah headquarters came after a falling out with assistant manager Steve Holland.

Commenting on those rumours earlier this week, Southgate said: "The article written used words like 'alleged', so whoever wrote it didn't feel strongly enough it was correct.

"Ben left for personal reasons. We made that very clear and I think especially in this day and age it is very important that a situation like that is respected."

England went on to beat Senegal 3-0 in the last 16 but were eliminated by France at the quarter-final stage on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat.

A day on from the Three Lions' tournament exit, White took part in a training session with Arsenal at their warm-weather camp in Dubai.

White has started all 14 Premier League games this season for leaders Arsenal, who resume their campaign against West Ham on Boxing Day.

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey and United States goalkeeper Matt Turner also resumed training with Mikel Arteta's side on Sunday following their own World Cup exits.

Arsenal have friendlies with Serie A sides Milan and Juventus to come before facing London rivals West Ham.

England's World Cup exit came despite the Three Lions outperforming every other side at the tournament, says Jamie Carragher, who felt Gareth Southgate could have been "braver" in Saturday's defeat to France.

Harry Kane scored a penalty and missed another as England suffered more quarter-final heartache, despite outplaying the world champions for long periods at Al Bayt stadium.

Despite amassing double the number of shots (16 to eight) and expected goals (2.41 to 1.01) than France, England succumbed to their seventh World Cup quarter-final elimination – a tournament record.

Former Three Lions defender Carragher was present for one of those exits, missing a penalty in a 2006 shoot-out loss to Portugal, but he believes Southgate's men played at a higher level than past England sides.

Recounting England's previous World Cup exits in a column for The Telegraph, Carragher wrote: "The biggest compliment I can pay Southgate's side is that they do not belong with such company. 

"This England team was no underdog going toe-to-toe with the world champions. This England team leaves the tournament having played better than any side in Qatar over their five games, a genuine contender that could and arguably should have gone all the way.

"France won on the night because of moments – a stunning goal from distance and a cross from Antoine Griezmann that would have troubled any defence in the world.

"Then England missed a penalty, knowing that had Harry Kane equalised for a second time, it would have carried positive momentum into extra time."

While praising the quality of England's displays in Qatar, Carragher said Southgate should have made better use of his squad when Saturday's game was poised at 1-1 in the second half.

"When you lose a game there's always things you look back on and think you could have done differently," he told Sky Sports.

"That's easy to say after the event, but I did feel before the game that England had to be brave from the bench. I just felt that in the period between the two goals, we could have been braver from the bench.

"With five substitutions, it's a big part of a manager's role to try to influence or change a game. I know Gareth's been criticised for that in the past, after the games against Croatia [in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals] and Italy [in the Euro 2020 final].

"Both those sides, if we're being totally honest, were better than us. I don't think France were better than us, and I felt the change should have been to try to go and win the game.

"England certainly had the strongest bench in the competition, I firmly believe that, and I just think we could have been a little bit more proactive in that period where it was 1-1 and we were playing really well."

Bruno Fernandes acknowledged Morocco as deserving World Cup semi-finalists after seeing Portugal's campaign cut short by the Atlas Lions in Saturday's quarter-final.

Youssef En-Nesyri headed home the game's only goal as Morocco caused another upset at Al Thumama Stadium, becoming the first African side to reach the final four in tournament history.

The defeat provoked a furious reaction from some Portugal players, with Pepe describing the appointment of Argentinian referee Facundo Tello as "unacceptable" after he opted against awarding a penalty when Fernandes went down under a challenge from Achraf Hakimi.

The playmaker echoed Pepe's thoughts in the immediate aftermath of the loss, saying the officials had "tilted the field" against Fernando Santos' men. 

However, the Manchester United man struck a different tone when he took to social media on Sunday, praising Morocco's display and outlining his pride in Portugal's efforts.

"It's difficult to express in a few words everything we felt yesterday after the game ended," he wrote on Twitter. "Our dream fell apart when we did everything to make it end differently.

"It's sad and painful because representing our team means much more than just playing football.

"Despite the elimination, I am very proud to be Portuguese and even more proud of all those who represented our country with me in this World Cup.

"I would also like to congratulate the Moroccan team for the great game and for deservedly qualifying for the semi-finals of the World Cup."

Portugal's defeat to Walid Regragui's men was their first at the quarter-final stage of a World Cup, with the Selecao having progressed from their two previous last-eight ties at the tournament.

Louis van Gaal says he leaves a Netherlands squad with close bonds but not enough wingers after he retired in the aftermath of their World Cup exit.

The Oranje went unbeaten throughout regulation time at Qatar 2022 and were only eliminated on penalties by Argentina in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Van Gaal's side boasted an array of defensive and offensive talent, with Cody Gakpo finishing the tournament with three goals to his name up front in attack and Wout Weghorst snatching a dramatic brace versus La Albiceleste.

But though the veteran coach feels he departs a team that can rely on each other, he acknowledges they lack the crucial players out wide to exploit the full breadth of the pitch.

"What do I leave behind with the Oranje?" he told AD. "I leave a good, close-knit group with a lot of footballing ability.

"But I leave without wingers who can pass an opponent at the highest level. You need wingers who can pass those men.

"Dutch football doesn't have that at the moment, not when it comes to the very highest level of a World Cup. That's why I started playing differently."

Van Gaal noticeably favoured a direct approach in the closing stages of the Netherlands' game with Argentina, forcing extra-time after two late goals forged through the middle.

The 71-year-old will now be succeeded by former Oranje boss Ronald Koeman, who returns to the helm of the national team, having left for an ill-fated spell with Barcelona in August 2020.

Harry Kane appeared "weighed down" by the presence of his Tottenham team-mate Hugo Lloris as his late penalty miss saw England exit the World Cup against France, says Alan Shearer.

Kane equalled Wayne Rooney's record of 53 England goals from the spot nine minutes into the second half at Al Bayt Stadium, but he blazed a second penalty over the crossbar 30 minutes later as France held on for a 2-1 quarter-final win. 

Shearer believes the sight of Kane's club team-mate between the sticks impacted his ill-fated second kick, which he says will hurt the Three Lions captain "for the rest of his life".

"Having taken one already, the difference was the difference itself. It becomes a mind game, not only with the goalkeeper but with yourself," Shearer wrote in a column for the Athletic.

"It's human nature. Who blinks first? To me, Harry looked weighed down for his second. Heavier, somehow.

"In that situation, you're confronted with a new set of problems and a new set of siren voices. You think 's***, what do I do now?' 

"Do I do the same as last time, do I stick with what I'm good at, do I change it up? 

"In Harry's case, he's playing against his Tottenham Hotspur team-mate in Hugo Lloris and that sense of familiarity is treacherous. Yes, he'd already scored, but Lloris knows his routines, how he practises, the side he naturally favours.

"Trust me, all that plays on your mind in the sparse seconds between the whistle going and you starting your run-up.

"It will hurt Harry for the rest of his life. A day won't go by without him thinking about it or being reminded about it."

Having taken responsibility for England's exit in the aftermath of their defeat, Kane pledged to learn from the experience as he took to social media on Sunday.

"Absolutely gutted. We've given it everything and it's come down to a small detail which I take responsibility for," Kane wrote on Twitter. "There's no hiding from it, it hurts and it'll take some time to get over it, but that's part of sport.

"Now it's about using the experience to be mentally and physically stronger for the next challenge. Thanks for all the support throughout the tournament – it means a lot."

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham also expressed his support for Kane – as well as for England boss Gareth Southgate – in a statement released on Sunday.

"Like all England fans, we feel the pain of losing a quarter-final, along with the coaches, players and support team who are hurting this morning," the statement began.

"Gareth and Steve [Holland] prepared the team exceptionally well throughout the tournament. The players were committed to winning the trophy and were led very well by Harry Kane.

"But sport can have fine margins, and on the day, against the current world champions, it was not to be.

"This is a very exciting young English squad, and despite the intense disappointment of last night, they should be incredibly proud of their performances in Qatar."

FIFA has confirmed a new match ball will be used for the final stages of the World Cup, replacing the existing model that has been used throughout the tournament so far.

The Al Hilm, which succeeds the Al Rihla, will be used in the semi-finals, third-place playoff and final of Qatar 2022, having been introduced for the last four games by Adidas.

The existing ball, which has been implemented with technology to assist in tracking and helping referee decisions across the tournament, has been used so far across the group stages and initial knockout rounds.

But the Al Hilm, which will come with a gold base design and triangular pattern paying tribute to the deserts surrounding major host city Doha, will now take its place.

"Al Hilm represents a beacon of light on the power of sport and football to bring the world together," Adidas general manager Nick Craggs said in a statement.

"Millions will tune in from almost every country around the globe, united by their passion for the game. We wish all teams involved in the final stages of the tournament the best of luck."

The semi-finals have been set for Qatar 2022, with 2018 winners France and runners-up Croatia both potentially in line for a rematch in the final four years on.

The pair will play Morocco, the first African nation to reach the last four in the tournament's history, and former winners Argentina respectively.

Jude Bellingham and Harry Maguire both believe referee Wilton Sampaio was not at the level needed for a World Cup quarter-final following England's loss to France.

The Three Lions saw their quest for a third successive semi-final appearance in major tournaments brought to an end by the holders, who claimed a 2-1 win in Al Khor.

Though England controlled a tight encounter for long periods, they often found themselves pegged back by a vigorous French defence, with referee Sampaio happy to let several industrial challenges slide.

Bellingham acknowledged any official can have a tough match afterwards, but felt the Brazilian was not up to scratch for a match of such prestige.

"Anyone can have a bad game, players and referees," he told ITV. "[But] I think he wasn't where he should have been today in terms of the level for a game like this.

"There are more factors as to why we lost. This definitely isn't me putting it all on him, [as] we were the ones who played the game. But I don't think he was at the level tonight.

"I think there were a few [fouls] around the box in the first half. We are deadly at set pieces, and I think any one of those can make the difference."

France scored their opening goal on the back of a contentious no-foul call for a tackle on Bukayo Saka, while England's second penalty - which Harry Kane decisively missed - needed a VAR intervention to be awarded.

Maguire was less than impressed too, telling BBC Sport: "From minute one, there were five or six fouls not one yellow card. It's a foul for the first goal, leading up to it on Bukayo.

"I can't really go into explaining how bad his performance was. I don't want to go into too much because I'll end up getting fined.

"But even though the big decisions were wrong, he never gave us anything. Throughout the game he was really poor."

Gareth Southgate will take his time to "make the correct decision" regarding his future as England manager but was encouraged by the way his young team went toe to toe with France on Saturday.

England were the better team for long periods at Al Bayt but ultimately fell short with Olivier Giroud's 78th-minute header proving to be decisive as Les Bleus clinched a 2-1 win to set up a semi-final with Morocco on Wednesday.

Southgate's contract runs until the end of the European Championship in 2024, but he will use the next few weeks to reflect on whether he wants to carry on.

He said: "Whenever I have finished these tournaments I have needed time to make the correct decision because you go through so many feelings.

"I want to make the right decision, whatever that is for the team, for England and for the Football Association. It's right to take some time to do that because I know how my feelings have fluctuated in the immediate aftermath of previous tournaments.

"It's the decision to go again, it's a lot of energy and you have to make sure you're ready for that. There are Euro qualifiers in March and there's too much in my head to think about that tonight.

"I wanted to focus on this tournament and I think we've given a really good account of ourselves. But in the end only one team wins and we've fallen just short."

Southgate led England to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia four years ago and the final of Euro 2020, yet his critics have continued to accuse him of playing in a negative manner.

That certainly wasn't the case in Qatar, with no team scoring more than England's nine goals in the group phase before a 3-0 round of 16 win over Senegal.

And against France, England played front-foot football that troubled the defending champions throughout.

Southgate added: "I think it's the best we've played against a major nation in the period I have been in charge but the scoreline is all that matters.

"They know how close they've come. They know they've pushed a top nation all the way. We had more possession, more attempts on goal…I am very proud of how they've been, not just tonight but throughout the tournament.

"We've shown a different face in terms of how we've played. We wanted to go toe to toe with the top nations, that's how we approached this tournament and we've done that. There's so much to be excited about given the age of some of the players.

"We've shown the rest of the world that English football is healthy and we have some very good players, not just for now but for the future as well."

England captain Harry Kane had the chance to take the game to extra time following Giroud's goal but blazed an 84th-minute penalty over the crossbar.

He had earlier netted from the spot to cancel out Aurelien Tchouameni's first-half opener and Southgate was quick to defend the Tottenham striker.

"He's very low but he's got nothing to reproach himself for," he said.

"We're in the position we are as a team due to his goals and his leadership over a long period of time. The result was due to 100 minutes of football and things that happened at both ends of the pitch.

"Even if the penalty goes in we've still got a lot to do to win the game. We win and lose together.

"It was difficult when you get a second penalty against a goalkeeper you know very well [Kane's Tottenham team-mate Hugo Lloris]. Even the best are going to miss at times, that's football.

"But there's no-one I'd rather have in that situation and if we got a penalty tomorrow I'd feel the same way.

"It's cruel for him because he will feel disappointed in himself, but he shouldn't."

Harry Kane took responsibility for England's World Cup exit after blazing a late penalty over the bar in the Three Lions' 2-1 defeat to France, saying he will "have to live with" the error.

England more than matched France during Saturday's tense quarter-final at Al Bayt Stadium, with Kane cancelling out Aurelien Tchouameni's opener from the spot after the France midfielder fouled Bukayo Saka in the area.

However, Olivier Giroud restored the holders' lead with 12 minutes remaining, and Kane was unable to score again when Theo Hernandez conceded a second penalty six minutes from time, firing over the crossbar.

The miss saw Kane squander the chance to surpass Wayne Rooney as England's all-time top goalscorer with his 54th international strike, while the Three Lions fell to their seventh World Cup quarter-final elimination – a tournament record.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the defeat, England's captain fronted up to his mistake and praised his team-mates for going toe-to-toe with the world champions.

"It's tough to take for me personally and for the team," he said. "I couldn't be prouder of the boys. We had better spells, better chances, but football comes down to small details. 

"As the captain and the one who missed the penalty, I take responsibility for that. I can't fault my preparation or the details before the game. 

"I felt confident taking it, I just didn't execute it the way I wanted to. It will be something I have to live with and take on the chin.

"The team is in a really good place and there will be highs in the future. Standing here now, we are gutted it has come to an end as we had full belief we could go all the way. We can be proud of what we've done."

Kane is the first player to both score and miss a penalty in a World Cup match (excluding shoot-outs) since Michal Bilek did so for Czechoslovakia against the United States in 1990.

He has scored more World Cup penalties than any other player (four).

The miss leaves Kane level with Rooney on 53 England goals, and the Manchester United great expressed his support for the Three Lions skipper after the loss.

"Absolutely gutted for the lads but proud of the way they've played this tournament and they should be proud," Rooney said on Twitter.

"Congratulations to Harry Kane on equalling the record, he'll be on his own soon and I couldn't think of anyone better to take over. Keep your head up Harry."

Aurelien Tchouameni warned "a group is being born" after France edged out England 2-1 to reach the World Cup semi-finals.

Les Bleus are the first reigning champions to reach the last four since Brazil in 1998, as Olivier Giroud settled a tight affair with 12 minutes remaining after a Harry Kane penalty cancelled out Tchouameni's earlier 25-yard effort at Al Bayt Stadium.

Didier Deschamps' side suffered a late scare when England were awarded a second spot-kick six minutes from time, only for Kane to blaze high over Hugo Lloris' goal.

Tchouameni told beIN SPORTS: "We are getting stronger. A group is being born, we feel good, we must continue.

"We suffered – it's the World Cup, we played a very good English team. We managed to win, we are happy."

Meanwhile, Adrien Rabiot hailed the togetherness in the France group, with Morocco up next in the last four on Wednesday.

"[I feel] pride, proud of this team, this group," the midfielder said. "There is joy. We have suffered, we have shown that we can be united and in solidarity.

"We were warned and prepared, we knew they would be committed. We responded with our weapons. It's an incredible moment. It is a moment of communion, as from the beginning, that carries us.

"More and more people are behind us and believe in it. We feel that there is something to be done. Even when we are in trouble, nothing can happen to us."

Olivier Giroud compared France's tense 2022 World Cup quarter-final win over England to their semi-final victory against Belgium four years ago.

France scraped past the Three Lions 2-1 at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday, with Giroud's deflected header ultimately the difference.

Aurelien Tchouameni had fired the world champions ahead, but England responded strongly and levelled through a Harry Kane penalty.

Gareth Southgate's side might have equalised a second time following Giroud's goal, only for Kane to fire a second spot-kick over the crossbar.

Victory sends France through to a semi-final against surprise package Morocco, with Didier Deschamps' side looking like favourites to retain their crown.

But this tie showed how hard it is to win the World Cup, with Giroud reminded of a 1-0 defeat of Belgium in Russia.

"The match tonight reminded of the match against Belgium in 2018," Giroud told a news conference. "We fought tooth and nail.

"They came back into the match, started to believe, but we showed we could be dangerous on the counter-attack.

"We were a bit lucky because Kane misses the penalty, but we gave our all and fought tooth and nail. It reminds me of the mentality of 2018. This group deserves to get there."

Giroud had equalled and then passed Thierry Henry's France goals record earlier in the finals.

"All goals are important," he added. "The fact is I went ahead of Thierry Henry with the 52nd, but this 53rd is perhaps even better.

"A minute before, I had a chance and I could have scored. I thought I might get another chance, and it was unbelievable to score."

Didier Deschamps felt the "small details and a bit of luck" went France's way as they edged past England 2-1 to secure a place in the World Cup semi-finals.

Olivier Giroud grabbed what turned out to be the winner with 12 minutes to go with England captain Harry Kane missing a second penalty of the night shortly after. His first was successful, cancelling out Aurelien Tchouameni's opener.

Deschamps, whose side now face surprise package Morocco in Wednesday's second last-four clash, was relieved to have squeezed through.

He said: "England have a very good team and what they showed in terms of technical ability and intensity, even though we put up a good fight, was impressive.

"Credit to my team as well, we also showed some very good things. We have great quality and we also have impressive mental strength. We have experience but so do England, they have some young players but they are players that play for the top clubs in Europe.

"We could see they were a good team at the outset of the tournament and it comes down to small details and luckily tonight it went our way. You need a bit of luck sometimes."

Vive la France

Into the #FIFAWorldCup semi-finals!#Qatar2022

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 10, 2022
England were the better team for long periods at Al Bayt Stadium and Deschamps preferred to focus on the strengths of France's opponents than criticise his own team for some of their failings.

"They have quality in all areas of the pitch," he added. "There were certain things we could have done better but maybe it's because they didn't let us do them well.

"We still scored two goals and created several opportunities. We deserved it but the other team were very strong."

Deschamps' contract is due to expire at the end of the tournament but the president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Great, has expressed hope that he will continue.

Deschamps refused to go into any great detail regarding his future but did not commit to remaining at the helm of Les Bleus.

"I will be the coach for the semi-final and then we will see," he said. "We will tackle that problem when it arises. It's great that the president is happy, I am sure there are a lot of people that are happy tonight.

"Just four years after our last victory at the World Cup we are in the last four. Let's focus on Wednesday, I am not thinking about anything else at the minute."

Harry Kane "will be stronger" for having missed the penalty that saw England eliminated from the World Cup by France on Saturday.

That is the opinion of Jordan Henderson, who was substituted shortly before the Three Lions were awarded a second spot-kick in their 2-1 defeat.

Kane had scored the first to cancel out Aurelien Tchouameni's first-half goal, but his second attempt cleared the crossbar, meaning an Olivier Giroud header proved to be the winner.

No player in World Cup history has scored more spot-kicks than Kane's four, with this the first he has missed.

"We know how many penalties Harry has scored for us, how many goals he has contributed to even get us here," midfielder Henderson told ITV.

"He will be stronger for this in the future. He is a world-class striker and our captain. He will bounce back."

Henderson concluded "it wasn't our night", although he felt it could have been as England went toe-to-toe with the world champions.

"We felt good, the performances were really good, the focus and hunger has been really good," he added.

"But you have to give credit to France, who are a good team. I still feel it was there for us to win tonight."

Declan Rice gave his backing to England manager Gareth Southgate as his players took responsibility for Saturday's agonising World Cup quarter-final defeat to France.

England lost 2-1 to the world champions despite long periods in which they controlled the game at Al Bayt Stadium.

Harry Kane's penalty cancelled out Aurelien Tchouameni's opener, but a second spot-kick from the Three Lions captain sailed over the crossbar after Olivier Giroud had restored France's lead.

Rice felt England "handled the occasion well" and were undone by "two goals that you don't really see us concede".

For that reason, the midfielder felt it was unfair to place any blame at Southgate's door following another missed opportunity at a major tournament.

"I hope he stays. There's a lot of talk around that," Rice said. "I think he's been brilliant for us, and there's been a lot of criticism that's not deserved.

"He's taken us so, so far, further than what people would expect.

"Tonight, he got everything spot on. It's not on him. The tactics were spot on. We played the right way, we were aggressive, we stopped [Kylian] Mbappe – he was quiet – and it was two goals against the run of play.

"That isn't down to the manager, it's down to the players on the pitch. I really hope he stays."

Rice believed England's performance was evidence of their progress under Southgate, who is set to take some time to consider his future.

"We really believed that this year could be our year," he said. "We got to the Euros final, and we've really progressed as a team over the past few years.

"We weren't over-confident, but we were confident we could go out there tonight and beat France. That's the mentality switch England have not had over the years.

"I think we dominated the game. Other than their two goals, I don't really remember them creating much. We played some great football, and it's a game of small margins.

"We win together and we lose together; it's just obviously really hard to process it."

Frenkie de Jong has described the officiating of the Netherlands' World Cup quarter-final against Argentina as "scandalous", claiming referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz was influenced by Lionel Messi.

The Netherlands staged a remarkable comeback to force extra time after going 2-0 down in Friday's clash courtesy of Wout Weghorst double, but the Oranje then suffered penalty heartache as they lost the shoot-out 4-3.

Lahoz was widely criticised for his display after showing 15 yellow cards during the match.

Argentina captain Messi said Lahoz was not "up to the task" of overseeing such a fixture at the end of a heated affair, and while De Jong agrees, he felt the presence of his former Barcelona team-mate contributed. 

"When regular playing time was over, the Argentina players all went to him and from then on he only whistled for Argentina," De Jong said of Lahoz. 

"Jurrien Timber's shoe was kicked off, but then he whistled for a foul against us. Luuk [de Jong] just wins a normal header and he blows his whistle, they kick the ball into our dugout, he doesn't care.

"Messi takes the ball with his hand, he just lets it go. He was really scandalous. 

"He is a nice guy, a good referee. But here he was beyond reason. I think he lost his way in overtime. 

"It could well be that the greatness of Lionel Messi had an influence on that. It's not the referee's fault, but it did affect the game."

Only Spain, with four, have lost more World Cup penalty shoot-outs than the Netherlands, one win, three defeats, while Argentina have prevailed on spot-kicks at the tournament more often than any other team with five and one defeat.

The manner of the Netherlands' defeat left De Jong stunned, with the midfielder revealing he was convinced they would lift the trophy.

"I was convinced that we would win when we equalised," De Jong said. "In any case, I was convinced that we would become world champions.''