Kyle Walker, the 96‑times capped defender who played in three European Championships and two World Cups for England, has signed to join The Sun’s World Cup team, the newspaper announced Wednesday.
The Sun says Walker will appear across its Sun Originals video franchises, write print and digital columns and front digital‑first social video content during the 2026 World Cup, and that the paper is the only newspaper brand with exclusive rights to him for the duration of the tournament.
Walker’s playing record gives the move weight: 96 England caps, three Euros and two World Cups. The Sun is pitching him as an insider voice for readers and viewers, and the paper added that his work will sit alongside SunSport’s expanded football output — formats such as Tactics Exposed and Team Talk, which were broadened over the last year, have already attracted brand sponsorship and driven millions of views and will return for the World Cup.
Those existing shows will be joined by two new commissions for the tournament, Proper Football Daily and Ones To Watch, both of which have secured brand sponsorship, The Sun said. A World Cup Preview show will be staged live at the News Building on June 1 and will feature Walker alongside former managers Harry Redknapp and Gordon Strachan, plus presenter Shaun Custis. Tickets for that fan event will be made available exclusively to SunClub subscribers.
Victoria Newton, speaking for the paper, said she was delighted to add Walker to SunSport’s roster and highlighted the timing: he joined The Sun soon after retiring from international football. The paper framed the hire as a major coup for its World Cup plans and promised readers an inside view of the England team as it chases the tournament.
Walker himself told The Sun he was excited to sign as a World Cup columnist and called the tournament the biggest stage in football. He said that having experienced World Cups as a player gives him a sense of the pressure, emotion and excitement involved, and that this will be his first major tournament from the other side of the game. He added that nothing would ever compare to representing his country at a World Cup, but that he looked forward to sharing analysis and perspective with fans throughout the competition.
Context: Walker is a former Manchester City and England player who retired from international football prior to this announcement. The Sun says its World Cup coverage will span video franchises, print and digital columns and social video output; SunSport has been expanding that offering across the last year and has aimed to build audience and sponsorship around its new formats.
The tension in the story is practical as well as editorial. The Sun’s claim of exclusive newspaper rights to Walker for the 2026 World Cup raises the stakes for its tournament coverage, but it also highlights how quickly a recently retired international has moved into a commercial media role tied directly to the national team he represented. That close link — player turned exclusive pundit for a single newspaper — will be tested as Walker offers candid analysis while remaining aligned with the outlet that holds his tournament rights.
What follows is straightforward: Walker will be a visible presence across The Sun’s World Cup output, and the paper has scheduled a live preview event on June 1 to launch that coverage. For readers who want a former England player’s view, The Sun has bought the exclusive newspaper access; whether that access translates into reporting that feels independent or promotional will be decided by the tone and candor of Walker’s columns and on‑screen commentary once the tournament starts.
