Antisemitism row means Lineker will quit BBC next week and will not front 2026 World Cup coverage next year.
Gary Lineker ‘to leave the BBC this week’ after antisemitism row.
The Guardian believes that Gary Lineker will apologise for boosting online content with antisemitic overtones before announcing his departure from the BBC on Monday.
After “bowing out by mutual agreement” with the broadcaster, the Match of the Day host is apparently not going to present the 2026 World Cup or the FA Cup the following season.
This Sunday, 26 years after he succeeded Des Lynam, he is scheduled to present his farewell Match of the Day show.
The 64-year-old issued an apology last week after it was revealed that he had shared a pro-Palestine video on social media that featured a rat illustration and attacked Zionism.
Nazi Germany exploited the antisemitic stereotype of a rat to describe Jews as rodents. “I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic,” Lineker said in a statement, adding that he had removed the post “as soon as I became aware of the issue.”
Tim Davie, the director general of the BBC, had been under pressure all week to fire Lineker, who received £1.4 million from the organisation last year.
“The BBC’s reputation is held by everyone and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us,” Davie said when asked about the incident after giving a speech in Salford. “I think we absolutely need people to be exemplars of the BBC’s values and follow our social media policy. Simple as that.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism organised a petition with over 10,000 signatures, calling on the BBC to “immediately remove Gary Lineker from his position.”
In addition to hosting the corporation’s coverage of the FA Cup in 2025–2026 and the World Cup the following summer, Lineker was already scheduled to leave his position on Match of the Day at the end of the current campaign.
Starting with the upcoming Premier League season, Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates, and Mark Chapman will share the presenting duties on Match of the Day, taking his place.
A source told the Sun: “Gary acknowledged his position at the BBC, anchoring the most prestigious tournament in world football, was untenable, and he will not be hosting the World Cup.
“He offered to step down at the end of the season, and did not want the BBC – an organisation he still holds in the highest of esteem – dragged into any further controversy.
“He remains absolutely devastated by the recent turn of events and is deeply regretful about how his post was interpreted. His last Match of the Day will air on Sunday now and he won’t be back.”