Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker issued an unreserved apology for a social media video - branded "completely unacceptable" - he shared which led to his early exit from the BBC

Forty summers after Gary Lineker had become a national goalscoring hero with England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, the 2026 finals in the same country — as well as co-hosts the U.S. and Canada — were to be his farewell to the BBC.

Por STEVE DOUGLASGary Lineker, el astro del fútbol inglés que se transformó en celebridad de los medios, dejará su papel como presentador de la BBC tras enfrentar críticas

Gary Lineker will leave his presenting role following the conclusion of Match of the Day for the 2024/25 season. He will not be part of the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup or next season’s FA Cup coverage. Tim Davie, BBC Director-General, said:

Gary Lineker has confirmed that he is leaving the BBC in a new video message. The former striker turned sports presenter has fronted football coverage for the broadcaster since the 1990s, including Match of the Day, and has been one of the BBC's highest-paid on-air talents.

Gary Lineker, a prolific striker and charismatic broadcaster, has an estimated net worth of £30 million.

GARY Lineker’s BBC exit is set to spark an intense rivalry between his Match Of The Day successors over who will lead the World Cup coverage. Insiders said that Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly

Gary Lineker, who has hosted BBC's flagship football show Match of the Day for more than 25 years is due to leave the corporation after backlash from a social media post last week