Gary Lineker will stop presenting Match of the Day at the end of the season and will leave the BBC after the 2026 World Cup as executives plan “reboot to keep it fresh”.
Lineker will have hosted MOTD for 25 years when he steps down at the end of the current campaign, at which point he will take a substantial pay cut before anchoring the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
The former England striker currently has a salary of £1.35m, making him the highest paid broadcaster at the BBC.
A BBC source told The Sun: “Gary absolutely adores Match of the Day, and has been incredibly happy at the BBC.
“But he has been at the helm since 1999, and by the time he leaves, he will have been at the Beeb for 30 years.
“He wants to leave on a high – and if England win the World Cup, it doesn’t get much higher.
“It’s one of the industry’s worst kept secrets that the new BBC Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski and Gary aren’t exactly close. The former is very keen to make his mark by bringing in new faces, and slashing wage bills.
“Negotiations have been ongoing for the past six weeks and finally a deal has been struck that everyone is pleased with.
“Gary is incredibly popular with both players and viewers, and news of his departure will send shockwaves around the Corporation. In other words, no-one is immune from change.
“Gary will be 65 when he leaves; frankly, he isn’t getting younger and just feels the time is right to focus solely on his mogul interests outside the BBC – namely his Goalhanger podcasting business which is becoming huge Stateside.
“BBC execs, meanwhile, will be giving Match of the Day a reboot to keep it fresh in the wake of such a huge departure.”
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There has been significant speculation in recent months over Lineker’s future as MOTD host and at the BBC in general.
A reported leaked email last month suggested he could be quitting mid-season, prompting Lineker to joke on air it was his “last game”, before clarifying he meant before the international break.
In a recent interview with Esquire Magazine, Lineker was asked if was stepping down from the Match of the Day hotseat.
He replied: “I could do. Whether that will be the case I don’t know.
“At some point, I have to slow down somewhere… I’m getting old.”
