Kyle Walker has signed for The Sun’s World Cup team, giving the newspaper exclusive rights to the former Manchester City and England defender for the duration of the 2026 World Cup. The 96-times capped full back, who played in three Euros and two World Cups for England, will appear across Sun Originals video franchises, print and digital columns, and digital-first social video content.
The move was announced after Walker retired from international football, and it lands just as the countdown to the next World Cup coverage begins in earnest. The Sun said it is the only newspaper brand with exclusive rights to Walker for the tournament, a rare media tie-up built around a player whose international résumé gives him a front-row view of England’s next campaign.
Victoria Newton said the paper was thrilled to welcome Walker to the SunSport family and called the deal a major coup so soon after his international retirement. She said he knows the England squad and the pressures of a World Cup better than anyone, adding that readers would get the ultimate insider’s view as England chases football’s greatest prize.
Walker said he was excited to sign on as a World Cup columnist for the summer. He said the tournament was the biggest stage in football and that, having experienced it as a player, he knows the pressure, emotion and excitement it brings. This will be his first major tournament from the other side of the game, he said, and he is looking forward to sharing that insight with readers and viewers throughout the competition.
The deal also feeds into a wider World Cup push at SunSport, which says it has expanded football coverage over the past year with Sun Originals video formats Tactics Exposed and Team Talk. Both are returning for the tournament, alongside two newly commissioned shows, Proper Football Daily and Ones To Watch, with brand sponsorship already attached to the new lineup.
Before the football starts, the paper will stage its World Cup Preview show live at the News Building on June 1. Walker is scheduled to appear at the fan event alongside Harry Redknapp, Gordon Strachan and Shaun Custis, with tickets reserved exclusively for SunClub subscribers.
For Walker, the shift from the pitch to the page is immediate and deliberate. Nothing replaces playing for England at a World Cup, he said, but he wants to stay close to the action and give fans honest analysis from someone who has lived through the tournament’s demands. That is exactly what makes the signing matter: not just a famous name on a byline, but a player who has already been inside the pressure he will now be asked to explain.
