Former England football star Gary Lineker has been enjoying a family holiday in Mexico, where fans captured the broadcaster relaxing with his son and daughter-in-law just weeks after his high-profile departure from the BBC.
Mexican Family Getaway
Gary Lineker was spotted by supporters taking a casual stroll through Mexican streets alongside his son Harry and daughter-in-law Bella Lineker. The 65-year-old former Barcelona striker appeared completely at ease during the outing, dressed in a light blue shirt, dark shorts and brown sandals.
A viral Instagram clip showed the moment fans recognised the football legend, with one heard saying: "What's up Gary? How are you doing? Enjoy your holiday." Lineker waved and responded "you too" before rejoining his family. The brief video also captured Harry Lineker wearing the yellow home shirt of Mexican football side Tigres.
Harry had previously shared holiday snaps from Mexico on his own Instagram account two weeks earlier, showing himself and his wife wearing identical outfits to those seen in the viral footage. The post attracted attention from football personalities including Jermaine Jenas and Alan Shearer, with Harry's uncle Wayne commenting: "Love this pic."
Hall of Fame Honour and Career Moves
Lineker's Mexican trip served a dual purpose, as the football icon was in the country to receive a prestigious honour. Earlier this month, he was inducted into the International Football Hall of Fame during a glittering ceremony in Pachuca.
Reflecting on the occasion via Instagram, Lineker wrote: "A very special night being inducted into the @famalsalon in Pachuca, Mexico. First time back since the 1986 World Cup. Great memories."
The football pundit has since returned to Britain and was seen celebrating his 65th birthday watching Manchester United's 2-1 comeback victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Netflix World Cup Podcast Deal
Significant career developments have emerged following Lineker's departure from the BBC in May. The Daily Mail reports that the broadcaster has secured "an extraordinarily lucrative" deal with Netflix that will see him front World Cup coverage for the streaming giant next year.
Lineker will host his popular podcast The Rest Is Football for Netflix from North America during the tournament. This marks a new direction after his BBC exit, which occurred when he shared a social media post about Zionism containing an illustration historically used as an antisemitic insult.
The former Match of the Day presenter had been scheduled to anchor the BBC's World Cup coverage as his final project after 25 years with the corporation, but those plans were cancelled following the controversial repost.
A source close to the Netflix arrangement revealed: "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."
The insider added: "This will mean that Gary gets a huge payday, it is an extremely popular show but when he left the BBC he took it with him. This will mean that its profile will catapult again, as well as meaning that Gary will go to the World Cup after all, just in a very different capacity."
While it remains unclear whether regular co-hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will join Lineker on Netflix, the podcast has demonstrated substantial audience appeal, attracting over 8 million viewers on YouTube alone in July.
Following his BBC departure, Lineker announced he would host a new ITV quiz show called The Box, featuring celebrity contestants transported to unknown locations for various games. At the time of his BBC exit, Lineker stated he "would never consciously repost anything antisemitic" and recognised "the error and upset that I caused."
