Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has given a definitive answer on whether or not he will continue to work in sports broadcasting after next summer’s World Cup
Gary Lineker has revealed that he will not pursue another broadcasting gig once his final BBC commitments are concluded next year. The outgoing Match of the Day host will bow out from his current role at the end of the season after 26 years.
Lineker, 64, will give up his spot on the iconic football highlights show at the end of this month but will continue to front the BBC’s coverage of the FA Cup next season, as well as the 2026 World Cup in the summer.
But while Lineker will stick around for one more year after giving up his primary gig, the former England captain has ruled out prolonging his broadcasting career.
“Once I’ve done the World Cup, I won’t be a football presenter again. I’ll focus more on my podcast empire,” Lineker told The Telegraph in an interview during his final weeks at the Match of the Day helm.
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Lineker, who is set to be replaced by three alternating presenters in the form of Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan, has enjoyed tremendous success away from the Match of the Day studio as the co-owner of Goalhanger Productions, a podcast production company.
Since its inception in 2018, the company has grown rapidly and boasts a number of leading shows, including The Rest is Football – which Lineker stars on alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards – and The Rest is Politics.
Lineker’s interview comes at a time where the BBC have faced calls to sack the renowned sports broadcaster after he shared a a pro-Palestine video featuring an ‘anti-Semitic’ rat emoji from the campaign group, Palestine Lobby, on Monday.
Lineker issued an apology for sharing the post on Wednesday night, saying: “On Instagram I reposted material which I have since learned contained offensive references. I very much regret these references. I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic. It goes against everything I believe in.
“Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters. I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views. It was an error on my part for which I apologise unreservedly.”
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