Gary Lineker is to leave the BBC, and will no longer host next year’s World Cup, following an anti-semitism row over a recent Twitter (X) post.
The former Spurs and England centre forward is expected to announce today that he will stand down following a final Match of the Day appearance on Sunday.
A BBC source told The Sun last night: “Gary acknowledged his position at the BBC, anchoring the most prestigious tournament in world football, was untenable, and he will not be hosting the World Cup.
“He offered to step down at the end of the season, and did not want the BBC — an organisation he still holds in the highest of esteem — dragged into any further controversy.
“He remains absolutely devastated by the recent turn of events and is deeply regretful about how his post was interpreted. His last Match of the Day will air on Sunday now and he won’t be back.”
Lineker has hosted the now-dock10-shot Match of the Day for the BBC for 26 years, and has for several years been the broadcaster’s highest-paid presenter, earning £1.35million a year according to last year’s BBC annual report.
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The presenter has in recent years regularly found himself in conflict with BBC bosses over his social media posts, however. The broadcaster launched a major review of its social media policy in 2023 after a Tweet comparing the then-Tory government’s asylum policy and rhetoric to Nazi Germany caused a storm, and Lineker was briefly suspended, leading to protests and walk outs by several of his colleagues and an unusual commentary-free episode of MotD.
The latest social media furore surrounds an anti-Zionism post Lineker shared on instagram, which was illustrated with a rat – traditionally a symbol used by the Nazis to represent Jews.
His agent said in a statement at the time he had not noticed the presence of the offending rodent: “Whilst viewing and reposting a video, Gary did not notice a rodent emoticon added by the author of the post. If he had, he would not have made any connection. The repost has been removed.”
Lineker himself later added: “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.
“The post was removed as soon as I became aware of the issue.”
Lineker was already due to be replaced as MotD host next season, with Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan stepping into his boots. A new World Cup 2026 lead presenter is expected to be announced soon.
