Gary Lineker to step down as Match of the Day presenter

Gary Lineker will be leaving his role as the host of Match of the Day after this season concludes.

It is thought that he has entered into an 18-month agreement with the BBC, which will take him through the upcoming FIFA World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico. However, he plans to leave the broadcaster's football highlights show after the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. According to BBC News, an announcement will be made on Tuesday, following the initial report by The Sun.

The 63-year-old former England striker stepped into the role previously held by Des Lynam in 1999, and for the past 25 years, he has been a familiar face on football fans’ screens every Saturday night.

In October, while hosting an episode of Match of the Day amidst ongoing rumors about his future, he playfully mentioned stepping away from the BBC. Lineker started the show with a light-hearted remark: “Hello! We've got seven games lined up, and this is my last program ... before the international break.”

In 2017, he received a nomination for a National Television Award for his contributions to Match of the Day. Lineker is widely recognized as one of the most prominent hosts at the network and is the highest-paid among the public figures whose earnings are disclosed, making £1.35 million annually.

In March 2023, the BBC suspended him after he posted on X that the government's wording surrounding a policy on small boat crossings was reminiscent of the language used by Germany in the 1930s. However, he was restored to his position after several of his coworkers withdrew from their programs in support of him. For seven years running, he has been the highest-paid presenter at the BBC, earning £1.35 million for the 2023-2024 year.

During his speech at the Hay Festival in Powys in May, he indicated that the actual issue stemmed from a prominent front page headline in the Daily Mail, which he described as a "twisting" of his original statement.

"The only thing I truly regret is that my disagreement was with the BBC instead of it being a conflict between the BBC and the Daily Mail," he stated.

“I find it really unfortunate about what transpired, as it essentially put me at odds with the BBC, an organization I deeply admire. I believe we don’t defend our position strongly enough and often become overly defensive, especially when it comes to concerns about the Daily Mail. That publication has its own agenda and was seeking a narrative about the BBC. I think the BBC should focus less on the Daily Mail and pay more attention to the interests of those who truly value the organization.”

In an interview with BBC Breakfast in August, he discussed his future on Match of the Day. Lineker expressed that it has been an honor to host the program for the last 25 years and mentioned that he was uncertain about how much longer he would continue doing it.

"I guess it really depends on how long they need me," he remarked. "Right now, I’m really enjoying it. I’ve got at least another year ahead of me, so we’ll just have to wait and see what unfolds."

He has also achieved recent success with Goalhanger Podcasts, the company he started in 2019. They have launched several shows, including The Rest is Politics, The Rest is Entertainment, The Rest is History, and The Rest is Football, the latter of which he co-hosts alongside his Match of the Day colleagues Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.

Lineker holds the record as England's all-time top scorer in the World Cup. He also excelled in the English Premier League, finishing as the leading scorer for three separate clubs over three different seasons.