Gary Lineker expected to announce early BBC exit before 2026 World Cup

Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker is expected to announce he has quit the BBC early and will not front its coverage of the 2026 World Cup, it has been reported.

The 64-year-old has headed up Match Of The Day since 1999, when he took over from Des Lynam, and announced he would be stepping down from the BBC last year.

The Sun has reported that a source said: “It is a heartbreaking end to an extraordinary broadcasting career.”

The 64-year-old’s departure comes after he “apologised unreservedly” for sharing and then deleting a post on his Instagram account from the group Palestine Lobby, illustrated with a picture of a rat, which prompted calls for him to be sacked from the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA).

The former Barcelona, Tottenham and Everton striker is still expected to host his final Match Of the Day next Sunday according to The Sun, and will not play a part in the next World Cup, held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

He headed up the BBC’s coverage of the FA Cup final on Saturday, which saw Crystal Palace beat Manchester City 1-0.

Lineker was temporarily suspended from the BBC in March 2023 after an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the then-government’s new asylum policy.

He was also among 500 other high-profile figures who signed an open letter in February urging the BBC to rebroadcast a documentary, Gaza: How To Survive A War Zone, to BBC iPlayer.

Last November, Lineker announced he would be stepping down from presenting Match Of The Day at the end of the season, but would still host World Cup and FA Cup coverage.

The presenter has been the BBC’s highest-paid on-air talent for seven consecutive years and was estimated to have earned £1.35 million in the year 2023/24, according to the corporation’s annual report published in July.

When he stepped down, it was reported that he was open to staying on at Match Of The Day but was not offered a new deal for the show.

The Leicester-born star will be replaced by Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman, who will share the presenting role on Match Of The Day from the next Premier League season.

Lineker joined the programme having started as a BBC Radio Five Live presenter, also working on Grandstand during his early years in broadcasting.

The former England striker is the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts, makers of the popular The Rest Is History series and its spin-offs about politics, football, entertainment and money.

Published: 19/05/2025 by Radio NewsHub