By Jake Kanter
International Investigations Editor
The BBC is gearing up to announce that its highest-paid presenter is heading for the exit door.
Gary Lineker is ready to step down from iconic Premier League highlights show Match of The Day at the end of the 2024/25 season in May next year and leave the BBC after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
His decision, which could be officially announced on Tuesday, was first reported by The Sun newspaper and has been confirmed by BBC News.
Lineker’s representative declined to deny the reports when contacted by Deadline. The BBC has been approached for comment.
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Lineker has presented Match of the Day for 25 years and has been the BBC’s highest-paid presenter for the past seven years, earning £1.35M ($1.8M).
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He is highly regarded by BBC management and well-liked by audiences, but his relationship with the corporation has become fractious over his use of social media in recent years.
Lineker was briefly suspended last year over a single tweet, in which he compared government rhetoric on asylum seekers to Nazi Germany. His punishment sparked embarrassment for the BBC as other sports presenters walked out in solidarity. Lineker was swiftly reinstated.
Questions have continued to be raised about his impartiality on X (formerly Twitter) though his posting on the platform has reduced significantly in recent months.
Lineker has also grown his business interests outside of the BBC, most notably through Goalhanger Podcasts, which makes table-topping shows such as The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Entertainment.
Lineker’s exit is one of the worst-kept secrets in UK television. In October, MailOnline said it had seen an email that suggested BBC chiefs, including director general Tim Davie, were drawing up a press notice about Lineker’s exit. The BBC did not confirm or deny its existence.
Lineker was asked about his future at the BBC in an interview with a colleague earlier this year. He said: “We’ll have to wait and see what happens. It’s an ever-changing feast, football, and television and football, and rights for the Premier League and stuff like that so all of these things will play a part. But I just feel that it’s been a privilege to present it for 25 years now. I must be getting old.”
Reports about Lineker’s exit have sparked immediate speculation about who will step into his shoes on Match of the Day, which is one of the BBC’s most revered brands.
Match of the Day 2 host Mark Chapman is seen as a natural successor, while Football Focus presenter Alex Scott has been linked to the role.
Others who could be in the frame include Gaby Logan, a highly respected BBC Sport presenter, and Dan Walker, the former Football Focus host who now anchors Paramount’s 5 News.
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