Gary Lineker will step down as Match of the Day presenter at the end of the season (Picture: Getty)
Gary Lineker‘s departure from Match of the Day at the end of the season has been confirmed by the BBC.
The 63-year-old will then leave the BBC after fronting the corporation’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, according to The Sun.
Speaking after a contract, that will see the former England captain continue his relationship with the BBC in a reduced capacity, had been agreed in principle, Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, said: ‘Gary is a world-class presenter.
‘We’re delighted that he’ll lead our coverage of the next World Cup and continue to lead our live coverage of the FA Cup.
‘After 25 seasons Gary is stepping down from MOTD. We want to thank him for everything he has done for the show, which continues to attract millions of viewers each week. He’ll be hugely missed on the show but we’re so happy he is staying with the BBC to present live football.’
Lineker, who regularly tops public lists of the BBC’s highest earners, has presented Match of the Day since 1999, but speculation over his future has increased in recent months.
According to a source, Kay-Jelski, does not see eye-to-eye with Lineker and is keen to bring in ‘fresh faces’.
Lineker will remain with the BBC until the 2026 World Cup (Picture: Getty)
‘It’s one of the industry’s worst kept secrets that the new BBC Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski and Gary aren’t exactly close. The former is very keen to make his mark by bringing in new faces, and slashing wage bills.
‘Negotiations have been ongoing for the past six weeks and finally a deal has been struck that everyone is pleased with,’ a source said, as quoted by The Sun.
In March last year Lineker was briefly suspended from hosting the programme after his tweet about the British government’s asylum policy sparked a row about BBC presenters expressing political views on social media.
Shearer’s fellow presenters and pundits, including Alan Shearer and Ian Wright, refused to appear on the show in solidarity with Lineker and it was reduced to a 20-minute highlights package, which contained no hosts, pundits or commentary. Lineker was reinstated just over a week later.
Lineker has a popular podcast with Match of the Day regulars Alan Shearer and Micah Richards (Picture: Getty)
Next Match of the Day presenter odds
The favourites to replace Gary Lineker
Odds courtesy of OLBG and subject to change
Mark Chapman: 2/1
Alex Scott: 4/1
Gabby Logan: 6/1
Jason Mohammed: 6/1
Kelly Somers: 7/1
Dion Dublin: 10/1
Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott are the front-runners to succeed Lineker, but one prospective replacement, Jermaine Jenas, was axed by the BBC in September following an investigation into inappropriate behaviour.
Lineker took over as host of Match of the Day from Des Lynam in 1999, having started as a BBC Radio Five Live presenter and also worked on Grandstand.
No stranger to headlines, the former Tottenham, Everton and Barcelona striker presented the programme in his underpants in 2016 to keep a promise after boyhood club Leicester won the Premier League.
Ex-Arsenal star Alex Scott is another option for the BBC (Picture: Getty)
However, speculation has been mounting over Lineker’s future as host since an interview with BBC Breakfast in August in which he said he looked forward to “another year doing it, at least”.
Last week Lineker, who turns 64 at the end of November, admitted he would ‘have to slow down at some point’ and intimated to Esquire magazine he may seek to focus full-time on his successful podcast business.
Lineker said: ‘I could do. Whether that will be the case I don’t know. At some point, I have to slow down somewhere…I’m getting old.’
Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy paid tribute to the long-serving presenter.
The former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder told talkSPORT: ‘He’s been phenomenal to me since the day I walked in the building.
‘And a warm, charismatic, intelligent man who knows his football and has become part of everybody’s furniture, if you like, on a Saturday evening.
‘He’s getting on a bit, just because he looks good for his age doesn’t mean he isn’t old. He’s getting tired in his old age, probably wants to just cook his Sunday roast.’