Gary Lineker Match of the Day: BBC presenter to leave show at end of season

Gary Lineker is to leave Match of the Day after 25 years, the BBC has announced.

The former England striker, who has hosted the BBC highlights show since 1999, will step down at the end of the current football season.

Lineker will stay at the BBC until the end of the next World Cup, held in the US, Mexico and Canada in 2026. As part of his new 18-month contract, he will continue to present BBC's FA Cup coverage.

The 63-year-old will stay on at the BBC after 2026 working on the MOTD Top Ten podcast and the BBC will also host the hugely popular The Rest is Football podcast on BBC Sounds.

"I'm delighted to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank all those who made this happen," Lineker says.

He was briefly removed from Match Of The Day in March 2023 following controversy over comments he made on social media criticising the then Conservative government's asylum policies.

The row prompted the BBC to launch an independent review of its social media guidelines and Lineker returned to screens soon after.

Lineker has been the broadcaster's highest-paid star in recent years for his work on shows including Match Of The Day and Sports Personality Of The Year.

He received around £1.35m during the 2023-24 financial year, according to the BBC's most recent figures.

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