Gary Lineker, the iconic host of BBC’s Match of the Day, is set to step down from his role at the end of the 2024-2025 Premier League season, after 26 years on the show.
BBC News has reported that Lineker’s departure will be officially announced on Tuesday.
According to The Sun, he will also leave the BBC after fronting coverage of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Negotiations began in October between Lineker and the BBC’s new head of sport, with sources indicating that Lineker was open to continuing.
However, the BBC ultimately decided not to extend his contract for Match of the Day, leaving the 63-year-old to move on from the role he has held since 1999.
Lineker, one of the BBC’s highest-paid presenters with an annual salary exceeding £1.3 million, told Esquire earlier this month that he understood he would need to “slow down at some point.”
Beyond Match of the Day, Lineker has been a prominent figure in sports broadcasting, covering numerous World Cups, European Championships, and events like the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year.
In addition to his work at the BBC, he has contributed to other sports networks, including NBC and BT Sport (now TNT Sport).
Lineker has also co-founded Goalhanger, a podcast production company responsible for popular shows like The Rest is History and The Rest is Politics.
Alastair Campbell, co-presenter of The Rest is Politics, praised Lineker, calling him “a very hard act to follow” and “an excellent broadcaster and a very good guy.”
With Lineker’s departure, the BBC faces the challenge of finding a successor for Match of the Day.
Fans have speculated about possible replacements, with Match of the Day 2 host Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan, and Alex Scott among the popular choices.
Lineker’s career has not been without controversy. Last year, he was briefly suspended over a social media post criticizing the UK’s asylum policy, which prompted the BBC to revise its social media guidelines.
The new rules allow high-profile presenters to express opinions on social issues while refraining from political campaigning.
At the time, Lineker described the guidelines as “all very sensible.”
A legendary figure in English football, Lineker was known as one of the country’s top strikers before his broadcast career, playing for clubs including Leicester, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Barcelona.
With his final appearance at the 2026 World Cup, Lineker’s exit will mark the end of an era, leaving a lasting impact on sports broadcasting.
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