In October, rumours were circulating that Gary Lineker would be leaving Match of the Day (MOTD). The former footballer squashed those rumours but did reveal he was discussing his contract with BBC bosses.
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A month later, the BBC has confirmed that Lineker will be leaving MOTD at the end of the football season. However, Lineker isn’t leaving the BBC completely and has negotiated certain deals with the broadcaster.
Gary Lineker is leaving Match of the Day
After 25 years, Gary Lineker has announced he is leaving Match of the Day. As reported by Sky News, the former England footballer will not be leaving the long-standing show immediately. It is understood he will remain until the end of the current football season, which ends in May 2025.
Moreover, Lineker’s contract has been extended until 2026 so he can cover the next World Cup for the BBC, which is being held in the US, Mexico and Canada in two years. Originally, Gary’s contract was set to expire in 2025.
Despite leaving MOTD, Gary Lineker will still be hosting his two podcasts, MOTD Top Ten podcast as well as The Rest Is Football (produced by Lineker’s company), hosted with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. This is the same podcast in which Lineker revealed a secret he hid for twenty years.
The 63-year-old is the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts, which has produced several popular shows, including The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Entertainment. Goalhanger Podcasts was founded 10 years ago and is said to be the UK’s largest independent podcast firm, as reported by Sky News.
In September, it was claimed that the company’s podcasts had been downloaded over 380 million times so far this year (2024).
Speaking about his departure from MOTD, Lineker explained that he is ‘delighted’ to continue to work with the BBC:
I'm delighted to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank all those who made this happen.
Alex Kay-Jelski, the director of BBC Sport explained that the ‘world-class presenter’ will ‘lead’ the coverage of the 2026 World Cup but he will be 'hugely missed’ when he leaves.
Gary is a world-class presenter, and we're delighted that he'll lead our coverage of the next World Cup and continue to lead our live coverage of the FA Cup.
After 25 seasons Gary is stepping down from MOTD. We want to thank him for everything he has done for the show, which continues to attract millions of viewers each week.
He'll be hugely missed on the show but we're so happy he is staying with the BBC to present live football.
Who could replace Gary Lineker on Match of the Day?
As mentioned above, as the news has only just been shared, it has not been decided who will replace the BBC’s highest-paid presenter on Match of the Day.
According to Sky News, Jermaine Jenas, a former Tottenham Hotspur footballer, was thought to be his natural successor. However, he was fired by the broadcaster back in August due to claims of inappropriate behaviour.
Mark Chapman
It is now believed that the frontrunner to replace Lineker is Mark Chapman, as reported by The Times. Chapman is already known to MOTD fans as he hosts Match of the Day 2 on Sundays. He has been hosting on Sundays since 2013, per Mirror.
Chapman is also a presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live since 2026. Recently he was announced as the presenter of the BBC's new Champions League highlights show.
Frank Lampard
Another potential candidate to replace Gary Lineker is Frank Lampard. Lineker previously spoke highly of Lampard, saying that he could be a good replacement for Gareth Southgate.
Theo Walcott
As per Mirror, another potential replacement could be former Arsenal and Southampton player, Theo Walcott. Walcott is no stranger to the MOTD studio and as a recently retired player, he is very much up to date with current players.
Rumours suggest several women are in the line-up for Match of the Day
Alex Scott
Daily Mail has gone in a different direction, suggesting that Alex Scott could replace Lineker on MOTD. According to the tabloid, six of the top seven favourite replacements are female presenters. As per Ladbrokes, she is currently the fourth favourite to replace Lineker.
In October, rumours suggested Scott could be leaving the BBC after she felt a lack of support over the low ratings of Football Focus, which she has been hosting since 2021. The former England player retired in 2017 and became one of the first female mainstream football pundits. As per Daily Mail, she is already a regular stand-in for Lineker on MOTD.
Eilidh Barbour
Tied in fourth with Alex Scott is Eilidh Barbour. Eilidh currently covers the Scottish Premiership on Sky Sports a well as the BBC’s golf coverage. According to Daily Mail, Barbour joined the MOTD 2 team in 2018 and is a regular stand-in for Mark Chapman.
Eilidh Barbour also covered the Women's World Cup for the BBC and the first-ever Premier League game on Amazon Prime Video.
Gabby Logan
Gabby Logan could be another candidate for MOTD. The former Commonwealth Games athlete is reportedly the second favourite to replace Lineker. According to Ladbrokes, she is just behind Mark Chapman.
Kelly Cates
Kelly Cates has also been suggested. As per Daily Mail, her father is none other than Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish. Kelly joined Sky Sports in 1998 and had been a regular presenter before suddenly leaving in 2006.
However, in August 2016, she returned to Sky Sports and covers the Premier League's biggest games with Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher. According to Ladbrokes, Kelly Cates is the third favourite to replace Gary Lineker.
It has also been suggested that the BBC may not choose a fixed host and instead have a series of presenters to replace Gary Lineker.
Read more:
Gary Lineker says he 'will apologise' to Frank Lampard after making awkward joke about his hair
Gary Lineker's football career: Here are all the clubs he played for before he retired
Gary Lineker’s jaw-dropping salary: Here’s what he earns as a BBC host
Sources used:
Sky News: ‘Gary Lineker to leave BBC's Match Of The Day at the end of the current football season’
Sky News: ‘BBC confirms Gary Lineker will step down as Match Of The Day presenter’
Mirror: ‘Gary Lineker to quit Match of the Day as BBC exit date revealed’
Mirror: ‘Frontrunner to replace Gary Lineker on MOTD named after Jermaine Jenas sacking’
Mirror: ‘Mark Chapman replaces Gary Lineker, 'English Roy Keane' added – How new Match of the Day could work’
The Times: ‘Champions League role puts Mark Chapman in line to succeed Gary’
Daily Mail: ‘Alex Scott leads the race to replace Gary Lineker: Women dominate the field of rivals vying to replace him on Match of the Day’
