Gary Lineker to present last Match Of The Day as he exits BBC
Sports pundit Gary Lineker will present his last Match Of The Day as he makes an early exit from the BBC.
The former England striker, 64, confirmed last week that he would be leaving the corporation after Sunday's episode, following controversy over a social media post.
He will no longer front BBC coverage of the 2026 World Cup, or coverage of the FA Cup next season, as had been previously announced.
Lineker's departure will be marked with a tribute similar to the one given to Ian Wright when he left last year, it is understood. Presenter Gary Lineker who will leave the BBC after this weekend's Match Of The Day, it has been confirmed / Credit: Nick Potts/PA
A video montage was played for Wright which featured highlights from his career and tributes from Lineker, Alan Shearer, England player Bukayo Saka and his family.
Lineker, who has hosted Match of the Day since 1999, attracted criticism after sharing a social media post about Zionism which featured an emoji of a rat, historically used as an antisemitic trope.
He issued an unreserved apology for the 'hurt and upset caused' by the video, stating it was a 'genuine mistake'.
Lineker, the BBC's highest-paid presenter, said in an Instagram video that it was 'best for all concerned that I step down from BBC presenting duties altogether'.
'It's been a pleasure and a huge privilege working with the BBC for 30 years, especially hosting Match of the Day, a programme that is so close to my heart and an integral part of my life,' he added.
Lineker joined the programme after starting out as a BBC Radio Five Live presenter, also working on Grandstand during his early years in broadcasting.
He is the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts which makes The Rest Is History series and its spin-offs about politics, football, entertainment and money. Gary Lineker takes part in The Rest Is Football live show, at the Audley Public House in Mayfair, central London / Credit: Ben Whitley/PA
His podcast, The Rest Is Football, which he co-hosts alongside Match Of The Day pundits Shearer and Micah Richards, will have its last episode on BBC Sounds this week, but The Rest Is History will continue on BBC Sounds, PA understands.
The presenter was temporarily suspended from the BBC in March 2023 over an impartiality row about comments he made criticising the then-government's new asylum policy.
In February of this year he was also among 500 other high-profile figures who signed an open letter calling on the BBC to rebroadcast a documentary, Gaza: How To Survive A War Zone, to BBC iPlayer.
Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman will replace the Leicester-born star and share the presenting role on Match Of The Day from the next Premier League season.
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