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Gary Lineker will depart Match of the Day on the finish of the season after greater than 25 years fronting the BBC’s flagship soccer highlights programme.
Lineker succeeded Des Lynam as the first host in 1999 having beforehand featured often as a pundit on the present.
Together with his contract as a consequence of expire on the finish of the 2024/25 marketing campaign, the 63-year-old entered into negotiations over an extension, however BBC bosses have elected to maneuver on.
The previous England striker will proceed to current stay soccer protection by way of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, when he’s set to step away from the broadcaster fully. He may even host BBC Sport’s protection of the FA Cup within the 2025/26 season, 35 years on from lifting the trophy as a participant.
“Gary is a world-class presenter, and we’re delighted that he’ll lead our protection of the subsequent World Cup and proceed to guide our stay protection of the FA Cup,” Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, stated.
“After 25 seasons Gary is stepping down from MOTD. We wish to thank him for every little thing he has finished for the present, which continues to draw thousands and thousands of viewers every week. He’ll be massively missed on the present however we’re so completely happy he’s staying with the BBC to current stay soccer.”
Lineker is among the company’s best-known presenters, and the highest-paid of these whose salaries are declared, incomes greater than £1.3m a yr.
The previous striker has labored for different networks throughout his time on Match of the Day, whereas additionally co-founding main podcast manufacturing firm Goalhanger.
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He was briefly suspended final yr after a submit on X, previously Twitter, about the UK’s asylum coverage, which prompted a assessment of the BBC’s social media pointers for presenters.
Among the many names within the body to succeed Lineker are Mark Chapman, host of Match of the Day 2, skilled presenter Gabby Logan and former England worldwide Alex Scott, who has offered BBC tv journal programme Soccer Focus since 2021.
There have been simply 5 lead hosts for the reason that programme was first aired in 1964: Kenneth Wolstenholme (1964–1967), David Coleman (1967–1973), Jimmy Hill (1973–1988), Lynam (1988–1999) and Lineker (1999–2025).
