Gary Lineker will not be fronting the BBC's coverage of this summer's World Cup, marking the first time he has missed the tournament with the broadcaster since 1994. The former England striker, who led BBC football coverage for many years, left the corporation last year.
New role with Netflix
Instead of working for the BBC, Lineker will host a daily version of The Rest Is Football on Netflix, alongside regular co-hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. They will be joined by special guests including Harry Maguire, Frank Lampard, Millie Bright, Patrick Vieira, Romesh Ranganathan and Niall Horan. Roving reporters Rob Jones and Alex Aljoe will provide insights into the England camp and other teams throughout the tournament.
Antisemitism row led to departure
Lineker had initially signed a one-year contract extension with the BBC to take him beyond the 2025/26 season, but he abruptly left last summer following an antisemitism row. The controversy was sparked by a social media post in which he shared a video about Zionism featuring an image of a rat, which has historically been used as an insult referring to language used by Nazi Germany about Jewish people.
In a statement, Lineker apologised for the post and insisted he would never knowingly post offensive content directed at a particular group. He said: "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."
Reflecting on his BBC exit
Earlier this month, Lineker reflected on his departure, admitting he wished he had checked the post more thoroughly. "You’ve got to have your own morals," he explained. "It was like a marriage. It petered out. The only regret I have is missing the [rat] emoji. Nothing else. I apologised immediately and then I apologised again. I don’t think anyone thinks it was deliberate, but I apologised because it was a mistake. I didn’t see it. I’m not that stupid."
Lineker also fired a subtle dig at the BBC, referencing their strict impartiality rules which he often flouted. "I love the BBC, I always will," he said. "I have a huge amount of respect for it. It turns out some incredible television and I think we did in sport. But I’m enjoying life without having to tread on eggshells and everything’s going really well. So no, I don’t miss it at all."
