
BBC rebrand iconic sports show as part of huge reshuffle following Gary Lineker's Match of the Day exit
NEW LOOK BBC rebrand iconic sports show as part of huge reshuffle following Gary Lineker's Match of the Day exit
THE BBC has rebranded an iconic football highlights show ahead of the 2025-26 Premier League season.
Match of the Day 2, the Sunday night companion show to Match of the Day, will have a change of name starting from this weekend.
Advertisement
3
Match of the Day 2 has been renamed to Match of the Day ahead of the new season
Credit: Getty
3
Mark Chapman will present the first Match of the Day of the season this weekend
Credit: GETTY
It will now be known simply as Match of the Day - the same as its Saturday counterpart.
The change coincides with the start of a new era for the beloved football programme.
Gary Lineker, who fronted the BBC show for 26 years, stepped down as the main presenter at the end of last season.
The Leicester icon has since been replaced by Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan.
Advertisement
READ MORE IN SPORT
GET OUT OF TOON Isak MOVES OUT of Newcastle home as he tries to force Liverpool transfer
Chapman is in line to front the programme this weekend.
Meanwhile, Cates is slated to present the network's coverage of European football this week.
The 49-year-old, who is the daughter of Liverpool and Scotland legend Kenny Dalglish, will host the highlights show for Tottenham's European Super Cup clash with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
Logan's debut on Match of the Day is yet to be confirmed.
Advertisement
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
She could potentially be in line to present MOTD this Sunday.
Lineker had initially planned to return to the BBC to present coverage of next year's World Cup in the United States.
How Gary Lineker's BBC exit will spark intense rivalry between new Match of the Day hosts to lead BBC's World Cup coverage
3
Gary Lineker stepped down from Match of the Day presenting duties last season
Credit: Getty
Advertisement
However, he quit working for the broadcaster entirely in May following an antisemitism row.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


RTÉ News
26 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Manchester City begin title quest with convincing Wolves win
Erling Haaland and new signings Tijjani Reinders and Rayan Cherki combined as Manchester City thrashed Wolves 4-0 in their Premier League opener. Haaland struck twice either side of a fine effort from Reijnders, and substitute Cherki added a late fourth, as City began their quest for a seventh title in nine years in convincing fashion at Molineux. Reijnders also had a hand in both of Haaland's goals in what was a particularly impressive introduction to life in the English top flight. Whilst it may be premature to suggest City have found the ideal replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, it was a very promising showing from the Dutchman. His presence brought dynamism to a City side that also raised eyebrows in other areas. Most notably, goalkeeper James Trafford was handed a debut and Ederson – described as "number one" by manager Pep Guardiola this week despite speculation over his future – was missing from the squad altogether. The club, however, later confirmed the Brazilian's absence was due to illness, with the 31-year-old suffering from gastroenteritis. John Stones returned in defence for his first appearance since February and another new recruit, Rayan Ait-Nouri, featured against the club he left in the summer. It was an emotional occasion for Wolves as they paid a series of tributes before and during the game to Diogo Jota, their former striker who died last month following a car accident. The visitors assumed control early on but did not create a clear-cut opening until the 19th minute when captain Bernardo Silva crossed for Haaland but the Norwegian, having to stretch too much, headed over. City had some moments of alarm as Wolves got behind the defence. Marshall Munetsi thought he scored when he headed past Trafford from a Matt Doherty cross but he was clearly offside. A chance also appeared to open up for Jean-Ricner Bellegarde but again the flag was raised. City took charge of the game after two moments of brilliance from Reijnders in the space of three minutes. The Netherlands international, whose outings at the Club World Cup may have helped him settle, played a delightful lob over the defence for Rico Lewis and his pull-back presented Haaland with a simple tap-in. Moments later the former AC Milan midfielder applied the finishing touch himself with a superb low strike across goal after Andre Gomes lost possession to Oscar Bobb. Jorgen Strand Larsen spurned a good chance to pull one back after the break when he side-footed narrowly wide and the same player also forced Trafford to palm over. Haaland increased City's lead just after the hour following more incisive work from Reijnders, who received a long ball from Trafford and exchanged passes with Bobb on the right. He continued his run and pulled back for Haaland to sweep home from the edge of the area. Cherki, having been on the field just eight minutes, added to Wolves' woes when he drove in from distance nine minutes from time after combining with Nico O'Reilly.


Extra.ie
26 minutes ago
- Extra.ie
Watch: Peter Crouch legs it from TNT desk to catch Oasis in Dublin
The Premier League may have begun this weekend but all anyone can think about in Ireland is Oasis playing in Dublin tonight. The band continue their reunion tour in Croke Park as they are set to perform in front of two sold-out crowds this weekend in the first shows in Ireland since 2009. It's been the hottest ticket in town for a while now and it's been a much sought after one as no one wants to miss the Gallagher brothers reunite, including Premier League legend Peter Crouch. Peter Crouch. Pic: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images The ex-Liverpool man was on the job for TNT Sports as one of his former sides Aston Villa took on Newcastle United in both sides' opening game of the Premier League season. It wasn't a game to write home about as despite Ezri Konsa getting a straight red card for the Villains, neither side really had many chances in what was a drab 0-0 at Villa Park. It was still however a good point for Newcastle, who are still in the midst of the Alexander Isak transfer debacle as the Swede is looking to leave Tyneside for Liverpool. Pic: @footballontnt/ X After all the post-match festivites and interviews the TNT broadcast was coming towards an end when Peter Crouch started to look a bit nervy, especially when host Lynsey Hipgrave teased that they could go on for a but longer. Hipgrave said; 'That's about all we've got time for, oh actually sorry my producer is just telling me we have got a lot more time, he said we can carry on talking.' Crouch replied; 'Lynsey, you know I'm going to Oasis tonight, it's not happening.' Pic: @footballontnt/X Hipgrave questioned Crouch 'Where you going?' But Crouch had no time for any messing around, revealing he was heading to Dublin to see Oasis. 'I'm going to Oasis, I've got a flight to catch'


The Irish Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
EastEnders' Belvinder Sopal reveals it's taken 21 YEARS to sign up for Strictly after 2025 line up reveal
EASTENDERS star Balvinder Sopal has revealed that it has taken 21 years to sign up for Strictly Come Dancing. The actress was previously revealed to be part of the cast of the 2025 edition of the long-running BBC celebrity dancing competition. 5 Balvinder Sopal was revealed to be a contestant for Strictly Come Dancing 2025 Credit: BBC 5 The actress admitted that she wanted to compete on the dance floor for over two decades Credit: BBC / Kieron McCarron 5 She admitted that she asked her agent to approach bosses for years Credit: BBC Balvinder, 46, rose to prominence in 2020 when she made her first appearance as Suki Panesar in EastEnders. Before this, she held various roles in huge shows such as Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Doctors and Hollyoaks. After becoming a fan favourite amongst soap fans, she will strut her stuff on the BBC One dance floor. However, competing on the celebrity ballroom dancing programme has been a dream for the actress since the show launched in 2004. Balvinder broke her silence on the announcement of her participation as she opened up on her journey on Instagram. The forthcoming contestant admitted that her team has been on at bosses to book her for the show for two decades. She wrote: "A dream 21 years in the making from when I first asked my agent to ask @bbcstrictly if I could be on the show. "Never did I ever think it would happen. And now.... since the announcement my feet haven't touched the ground." The actress continued: "And we haven't even started properly. "Yesterday was a big day; our first day meeting and greeting the Strictly Team, the other brilliant and talented contestants, and of course, the PROS." Strictly Come Dancing 2025 lineup IN FULL - including Game of Thrones star & famous YouTuber The actress did not give any hints about who her partner is, but she did say that she loved seeing them. "Watching the pros on telly is one thing... seeing them in person is a whole other story. In absolute awe," she stated. Balvinder praised bosses at the long-running soap for allowing her to take the time to rehearse. She explained: "@bbceastenders - simply THANK YOU for allowing this to happen, @bbcstrictly THANK YOU for asking me. "And thank you to every single one of you whom have sent messages of love and support, and shared in my absolute delight & excitement of this wonderful opportunity." Balvinder added: "It's going to be tough, but I know one thing for sure, I am going to savour every single second of my journey on Strictly Come Dancing. "Come, let's dance." 5 Balvinder rose to prominence in 2020 when she first appeared on EastEnders Credit: BBC