BBC soccer announcer Gary Lineker, a fan favorite whose social media comments have stirred controversy, is reportedly leaving his longtime Match of the Day role and will part ways with the BBC after the 2026 World Cup.
The Sun reported Monday that the popular BBC Sport announcer will leave Match of the Day at the end of the season. The Premier League season ends in May.
Lineker, 63, has hosted the BBC’s flagship football broadcast since 1999. While the former English soccer star has long been popular with fans, he’s earned the wrath of some in recent years for politically themed social media posts. Earlier this year, he said he’d received threats after retweeting a pro-Palestinian account calling for Israel’s banishment from international sporting events.
Those tweets have also put him at odds with the BBC, which requires employees to remain impartial on political topics. In March 2023, the BBC requested Lineker “step away” from his Match of the Day role after he criticized a British migration bill. However, many fans were upset by the network’s move, and Lineker’s colleagues even staged a walkout, forcing the network to cut programming. The walkout led the network to bring Lineker back.
The Sun, which reported the story under the banner headline “Lineker Quits,” noted that the veteran is BBC Sport’s ‘highest-paid star.” He reportedly earns the U.S. equivalent of $1.67 million per year. But his contract expires after the 2026 World Cup, after which he will leave the network.
The Sun reported Lineker will take a “substantial pay cut” after leaving MOTD.
“Gary absolutely adores Match of the Day, and has been incredibly happy at the BBC,” a BBC source told The Sun. “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.”
The news is not a surprise. A leaked email recently suggested Lineker might quit MOTD midseason, prompting him to joke on air that he was working his “last game.”
While this might not be the ending Lineker wanted, his colorful style will long be remembered by his many fans. Lineker once launched a new season on MOTD by appearing in his underwear, to settle a bet.
[BBC.com]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.