Gary Lineker has reportedly agreed an 'extraordinarily lucrative' deal to host his podcast, The Rest is Football, for Netflix during next year's World Cup. The 64-year-old former England striker left the BBC in May after 30 years, following a suspension in 2023 over comments about immigration policy and a later apology for sharing an offensive image.
According to the Daily Mail, Lineker will present the podcast from North America during the tournament, which is co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico and starts on Thursday, June 11. The show, previously on BBC Sounds, is currently available on YouTube but has no network affiliation.
A source close to the deal said: 'The Rest is Football is currently available to watch on YouTube but it has not been affiliated to any other network or broadcaster. This is all new for Netflix and it is being described as an exciting new thing amongst the bosses there. It will mean that Gary gets a huge payday.'
Lineker was originally due to present BBC's World Cup coverage after stepping down as Match of the Day host last November, but he left the BBC early, with his final appearance on the show at the end of the 2024/25 Premier League season. It is unclear if his co-stars Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will join him on the Netflix show.
