Gary Lineker is playing a huge role in the World Cup 2026 coverage - but not with the BBC. The former Match of the Day host was originally set to anchor the BBC's live television coverage of the tournament across North America this summer. However, his contract with the corporation was terminated early at the conclusion of the 2024/25 football season following a highly publicised social media dispute regarding antisemitism.
Sudden contract termination
The immediate catalyst for his abrupt exit was an Instagram post he reshared from a group called Palestine Lobby. The video, titled "Zionism explained in two minutes," featured an illustration of a rat - an image historically used in antisemitic propaganda. Following immediate internal and public backlash, Lineker deleted the post and issued an unreserved apology. He stated he "would never knowingly share anything antisemitic," calling it a deeply regretted error of judgment, and took full responsibility for not reviewing the video closely enough.
BBC response and early exit
In November 2024, the BBC announced that Gary Lineker would step down from Match of the Day at the end of the season but had signed an 18-month contract extension to remain with the broadcaster. This extension explicitly secured him as the lead anchor for the BBC's live FA Cup coverage and the upcoming 2026 World Cup in North America. Lineker's departure was accelerated because his post crossed a clear "red line" by featuring an antisemitic trope, which directly violated the BBC's newly tightened social media guidelines. Rather than dragging out an already strained relationship until the World Cup, both sides mutually agreed that an immediate exit at the end of the season was the only way to protect the broadcaster's credibility.
In May 2025, the BBC officially confirmed that Lineker would be leaving his presenting roles entirely, cutting ties much sooner than the initial World Cup 2026 plan. The broadcaster accepted his apology and acknowledged his recognition of the "error and upset caused," confirming that his final appearance would be shifted forward to the final Match of the Day of that season.
Massive streaming deal with Netflix
Following that U-turn on his broadcasting future, the 65-year-old former striker signed a lucrative, multimillion-pound deal reportedly worth £14 million with Netflix. He is now presenting a daily, globally streamed video version of his popular podcast, The Rest Is Football, directly from a custom studio in New York City. Lineker took a jibe at his former employers for keeping their broadcasting team grounded in the United Kingdom. He expressed immense relief that he would be live on location in Times Square rather than spending the tournament inside what he described as a "green box in Salford."
The BBC's director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, quickly hit back at Lineker's public taunts by unveiling a state-of-the-art studio in Salford featuring a massive panoramic virtual screen, saying: "It's not a green box in Salford. It's a beautiful state-of-the-art studio." This cutting-edge setup is designed to project a seamless illusion overlooking the specific host city of whichever match is airing at that moment.
New presenting team and tournament coverage
To fill the massive void left by the iconic presenter, the BBC has implemented a rotation system featuring a trio of established hosts. Main anchors Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman, and Gabby Logan are sharing the primary presenting duties throughout the five-and-a-half-week tournament. For viewers back in the UK, tuning in to the matches requires a lot of late nights due to the significant time zone differences across the host nations. Approximately 40% of the tournament's fixtures are scheduled to kick off after midnight, though prime games will still broadcast at much friendlier times like 3pm or 7pm.
Despite the off-screen drama with their former main presenter, the BBC still holds a massive broadcasting stake in the tournament with rights to screen 54 live matches. They will share coverage with rival network ITV, and both broadcasters will simultaneously televise the final match at 3pm later this summer.
