Former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has fired shots at the BBC over their World Cup coverage this summer. The ex-England striker claimed he will be presenting this year’s competition direct from the USA, while the Beeb will have to make do with its HQ in Salford. Lineker had planned to stay on with the broadcaster to host the tournament for them, despite leaving his role as presenter of the beloved highlights show in May 2025.

However, he left the BBC earlier than planned. This followed a controversy where he shared a social media post about Zionism that included a rat emoji, which was classed as an antisemitic insult. The former England player apologised for the post and would leave with immediate effect. In a twist of fate, Lineker will be present in North America for the competition this summer as his podcast, The Rest Is Football, has secured a daily show agreement with Netflix to be recorded in New York City.

Speaking to James O’Brien on the LBC podcast Full Disclosure in late February, the ex-Leicester forward made sure to stick the boot into his old employers while addressing his exit. He said: “I was already doing the [podcast] anyway and then other offers started to come in reasonably quickly and, again, because people recognised it was a genuine error [his social media post].

“The truth is now, in hindsight, and I never would’ve wished this, but things have transpired. I’ve had Saturdays off, I’m going to do the World Cup for Netflix, in New York, whilst the BBC are doing the World Cup in Salford but things have turned out alright.”

Since leaving Match of the Day, Lineker has kept busy with his podcast, which he hosts alongside Micah Richards and Alan Shearer. He has also participated in the Ballers League.

Goalhanger, the podcast company Lineker co-founded and which is behind other big brands like The Rest Is Politics, recently signed a deal with Netflix to turn its football edition into a daily TV show on the streaming service during this summer’s World Cup, taking place across North and Central America.

The ex-Barcelona man is also the face of a new game show, The Box, which is coming to ITV later this year. Speaking on his new role as host, he told O’Brien: “I’ve got a new series… a reality show, actually, which I’m hosting. I’ve always been asked to go on reality shows and I’ve always said not until Ant & Dec retire or Claudia gives up.

“It’s called The Box and it’s a lot of fun. It’s genuinely something completely different to what I’ve done before. I liked the look of this idea. I think it’s really clever. It’s light-hearted and a lot of fun.”

Apologising for the post that sparked his BBC exodus in May of last year, Lineker insisted he did not see the image and “would never consciously repost anything antisemitic”.

He added: “However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.”