England defender rules himself out of 2026 World Cup squad

An England defender has ruled himself out of contention for the 2026 World Cup.

The tournament is fast approaching, and England are one of the favourites to lift it, for the first time since 1966.

Manager Thomas Tuchel will already have a good idea of the players he’s intending to take across the Atlantic, but one star has removed himself from consideration.

England defender retires from international football ahead of the World Cup

The Three Lions have had a core squad for a number of years now, with the likes of Jordan Pickford, Harry Kane, and John Stones forming the spine of the squad.

But another regular in that cohort will definitely not be with Tuchel’s squad this summer.

Burnley defender Kyle Walker has announced his retirement from international football, having earned 96 caps for England since his senior debut in 2011.

The 35-year-old said: “After a lot of thought, this feels like the right moment to step away and allow the next generation of players to come through.”

Walker only played three games under Tuchel for England, but he clearly made a strong impression on the German coach.

“I know all England fans will join me in congratulating Kyle on an incredible international career,” the Three Lions boss said. “Although I only worked with him for a short period of time, I was always aware that he was one of England’s greats who fully embraced the highest honour of representing his country.

“An international career spanning 14 years and five major tournaments is testament to Kyle’s dedication. He can look back on his time with the Three Lions with great pride.”

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, this is probably the right call from Walker.

He’s had an incredible career for England, and continues to provide value to Burnley in the Premier League, but Tuchel’s squad may need fresher legs for the intensity of the World Cup challenge.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Tino Livramento and Djed Spence all at Tuchel’s disposal, it feels time for the former Manchester City man to step aside.

Rather than suffer potential non-selection and the press interest that would follow, Walker gets to walk away from the international game with his head held high.

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