Gary Lineker is officially leaving Match of the Day after 26 years but not without doing a new money-spinning deal with the BBC to promote his The Rest is Football podcast on the BBC Sounds app. 

Mr Lineker, 63, has extended his TV contract until the end of the 2026 World Cup but is stepping down from MotD as it 'evolves for changing viewing habits'.

The footballer turned pundit has been the regular presenter of the show since 1999 but he will end his 25-year stint on the Saturday night programme as its £1.35million-a-year host at the end of this season.

Lineker, a lightning rod for criticism over impartiality in recent years who was seen walking his dog this morning, will leave the corporation altogether in two years’ time after the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, as first reported by MailOnline in October.

In a 21-word statement, which did not mention his emotions about leaving Match of the Day next year, he said: 'I’m delighted to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank all those who made this happen'.

But despite his departure in 2026, the BBC has done a deal to host his Rest is Football podcast on its hugely popular Sounds app, which has 5million users in the UK.

Opening up that gigantic download market for his privately-produced show, hosted with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, could make him millions with industry sources saying advertisers pay his company Goalhanger £45 for every 1,000 listens to an advert. He made £125,000 alone during Euro 2024.

BBC Sounds will see many more people listen to his pod, which allows him to give his personal opinions, including a controversial episode where he called England 's**t' that led to a rebuke from team captain Harry Kane.

Lineker's exit will close the curtain on a long - and controversial - chapter for one the nation's most popular sports shows.

The statement read: 'The BBC and Gary Lineker have agreed in principle a contract extension through to the 2026 World Cup. 

'Gary will lead the coverage of the tournament, as England once again try to land a first major trophy since 1966, the other Home Nations look to qualify and Lionel Messi aims to retain the trophy he won with Argentina.

'Gary will also host BBC Sport's coverage of the FA Cup in the 2025-26 season, 35 years on from lifting the trophy as a player.

'After a quarter of a century, Gary is stepping down from hosting Match of The Day at the end of this season. He will continue with the MOTD Top Ten podcast and the BBC will also host the hugely popular The Rest is Football podcast on BBC Sounds.'

Gary Lineker was 'open' to staying on as the £1.35million-a-year host of Match of the Day but the BBC did not offer him a contract in a move that will save them a fortune, it was revealed today. 

BBC insiders appear to have quashed claims that he quit, suggesting instead that he had had indicated to bosses that he would consider staying on at Match of the Day after next May.

'Lineker was open to staying on at Match of the Day, but the BBC did not offer him a new contract for the show', the corporation's culture and media editor Katie Razzall has said.

Former Director General Greg Dyke said today that that Lineker's penchant for giving personal views will have been 'in the mind' of the BBC when they decided to go for a new host. 

'In the end, people watch Match Of The Day for the football', he said. 

Lineker and his new boss BBC's director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, started talks with the broadcaster six weeks ago. 

One source has insisted that Mr Lineker is 'happy' and 'everyone is pleased' that he will leave MotD in May and the BBC two years later. 

But added that is an open secret that Mr Kay-Jelski is 'not exactly close' with the former England striker and is keen to slash spending and give the show a facelift without him. 

BBC director general and ex-FA chairman Greg Dyke has said that 'people watch Match Of The Day for the football' - and the show will move on.

'It's a big loss, but life moves on. Match Of The Day will continue, while having a new presenter, just as when Des Lynam left and Gary Lineker took over from him 20 years ago', he said.

'He's become a big presenter and a big personality and a very good performer for the BBC, but life moves on. Presenters don't stay forever.

'In the end, people watch Match Of The Day for the football. I was at ITV when he first became a TV personality and it's fair to say he wasn't a great presenter in those days, but he grew into the job and he's been brilliant for the BBC. He's without doubt the outstanding sports presenter of his time.

'I heard it was by mutual consent. But we all know how much he earns. He's very expensive and the BBC is in difficulties financially. It would be a saving on the sports budget which it could use elsewhere. I don't know if he was offered a new contract or not'.

On the issue of impartiality he added: 'Whether this is anything to do with that, I don't know. It was one of the few times I disagreed with the BBC since I left - I thought, he was a sports presenter, therefore what he was saying as a sports presenter was irrelevant. It might have been a thought in the mind of whoever took the decision.'

It came as Mr Lineker has been spotted for the first time after it emerged that he will be leaving the BBC.

The former Barcelona striker was seen enjoying an intimate meal with family at Sabor, a Michelin-star Spanish restaurant tucked between Mayfair and Soho in London.

Dressed in a smart blazer and a black t-shirt, the broadcaster was seen indulging himself in a selection of tapas dishes and a glass of red wine with his son Angus, 26.

Angus, the youngest of Lineker's four sons, posted the photo on his Instagram at around the same time it emerged that his father will be stepping down from MOTD at the end of the season before leaving the BBC entirely after the 2026 World Cup in America, Mexico, and Canada.

It's understood that his departure will be announced officially by the BBC on Tuesday.

Lineker has branched out in recent years by co-founding the production company Goalhanger.

The company produces his podcast The Rest is Football, with other titles including The Rest is History, The Rest is Politics and The Rest is Entertainment.

The Rest is Politics co-host Campbell effectively confirmed Lineker's departure to Sky News, stating that the outgoing Match of the Day host would be 'a very hard act to follow'.

Lineker's time as the face of Match of the Day has been divisive at times, with the presenter temporarily suspended last year for criticising the government's asylum policy in a controversially worded tweet.

He returned soon after following a walk-out by his MOTD colleagues who showed solidarity with the former England striker, and the row even prompted the Beeb to overhaul and draw up a new set of guidelines for its presenters and their social media use.

Responding to a suggestion that Lineker had been 'straining at the leash' at the BBC, Campbell claimed the corporation went 'a little bit too far' when they briefly took the presenter off air.

'The thing about Gary Lineker as a “political figure”, he does strike me as someone who does have strong views about a lot of really important issues,' said Campbell, the former Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy.

'I think the BBC went a little bit too far'.

Lineker is the BBC's highest-paid presenter with a salary of £1.35million and his exit will close a long - and controversial - chapter for one of the nation's most iconic shows. 

The decision to part ways with him comes after six weeks of talks. 

BBC News also appeared to confirm Lineker's departure on Monday night.

'Broadcaster Gary Lineker is to step down as host of flagship football programme Match of the Day at the end of this season, BBC News understands,' the BBC wrote.

Lineker's time as the face of Match of the Day has been divisive at times, with the presenter temporarily suspended last year for criticising the government's asylum policy in a controversially worded tweet.

He returned soon after following a walk-out by his MOTD colleagues who showed solidarity with the former England striker, and the row even prompted the Beeb to overhaul and draw up a new set of guidelines for its presenters and their social media use.

It has been hard for the BBC to keep a handle on him when he presents his popular podcast, The Rest Is Football, alongside Micah Richards and Alan Shearer. 

During Euro 2024 he branded England's performance against Denmark as 's***', which prompted a retaliation from Harry Kane, who hit out at attacks from pundits who knew what it is like to 'wear the shirt'.

That shock jock tone landed him in hot water and stands in stark contrast to the more composed, cerebral style that Match of the Day upholds.  

Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan have previously been touted as the favourites to replace the former England striker. 

His contract with the BBC finishes at the end of this season but he has been given an 18-month extension. However, that will not include Match of the Day anchoring duties. 

That email, which suggested a show earlier this season would be his last - which has not been the case - also included comments from director general Tim Davie, who hailed an ‘incredible’ stint and described Lineker as a ‘world class presenter’.

A 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.

'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 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.' 

He made light of the uncovered email in October, opening the first show after that by saying: 'Hello. Seven games on the way and it’s my final show… before the international break.’ 

That was a more measured response to the one he gave when approached directly by MailOnline outside his home: 'F*** off, I won't talk to you. Go away.' 

The 63-year-old presenter has reportedly been linked with jobs at rival broadcasters and before his exit under a cloud, Jermaine Jenas was being lined up to replace the former England captain.

Reports in late September suggested Lineker would hold talks with the BBC this month over a multi-year deal after volunteering to take a pay cut.

Lineker first began his punditry with the BBC at 5 Live and Grandstand before taking over as host of Match of the Day in 1999.

He has also presented Sports Personality of the Year, London 2012 and Golf for the corporation.

It is only a couple of months since Lineker suggested he would have 'another year, at least' at the helm of the BBC's long-running football show, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in August. 

He opened up about his future when asked how long he would keep presenting, and replied: 'I don't know... it depends how long they want me, I suppose.'

Interviewed by BBC Breakfast's John Watson in August, he said: 'I mean, I love doing it at the moment (and) I've got another year doing it, at least.

'We'll have to wait and see what happens. It's an ever-changing feast, football, and television and football, and rights for the Premier League and stuff like that so all of these things will play a part.

'But I just feel that it's been a privilege to present it for 25 years now. I must be getting old.'

Elsewhere in the interview, the BBC's highest-paid star also explained why the show meant so much to him.

'It's been a part of my life, a big part of my life right from the start,' he explained. 'I watched it as a kid, it was the one night my dad would let me stay up to watch Match of the Day.

'Because a lot of the population don't have Sky or TNT or any of these streaming channels that show football and the Premier League, I think about half the population get their Premier League fix from Match of the Day and still do.'

He was also asked why he thinks the BBC show continues to draw in viewers, to which he replied: 'I think part of it is that it's trusted.

'The longevity of the show, the love for the show. I think people enjoy seeing it that way, they like to see the highlights. They like to get their Premier League fix from us and hopefully that will continue.'

Lineker's spot as the Beeb's highest-paid talent is as much of a talking point with critics as his social media antics – and it was something his MOTD predecessor Des Lynam recently branded 'unjustifiable'.

After quitting football, Lineker's presenting career began with the BBC where he presented MOTD, as well as working for Al Jazeera Sports and NBC Sports Network.

With a reported overall net worth of £30million, he is one of the UK's most notable sports figures and consistently presents at major tournaments including the Euros and the World Cup.

Over the course of his stellar football career, he played for England 80 times and scored 49 goals before retiring in 1994 to enter the media world.

As well as presenting, he signed a £1.2million three-year deal with Walkers Crisps in 2020 and has established his own podcast production company Goalhanger, which produces podcasts including The Rest is History and The Rest is Politics.

His BBC salary has been reduced since 2019 when he earnt 1.75m, and he took a voluntary pay cut of 23 per cent in 2020.

Goalhanger claims to be the UK's largest independent podcast group.

It was founded by Lineker, along with Tony Pastor and Jack Davenport.

Chapman and Logan have been seen as the frontrunners to take his spot.

Considering that Mark Chapman hosts Match of the Day 2, and that he and Logan anchor the BBC's new Champions League highlights show, it is little surprise that their names were at the top of the bookies' tables in October. 

MOTD pundit Micah Richards Alex Scott, the current host of Football Focus, were also mentioned high up.

Down the list were Dion Dublin, Clare Balding, Jason Mohammad, Colin Murray, Eni Aluko, Alan Shearer, Kelly Cates, and Eilidh Barbour.

Match of the Day staff were left 'increasingly unsettled' in October amid the rumours that Lineker could be headed for the door.

A source told the Mail: 'There's a belief his time is coming to an end, but speculation surrounding the rumoured speediness of his departure has ramped up since this email has come to light.

'Staffers feel it would be strange for such an esteemed broadcaster to leave so early into the football season, and not receive a big send off - just like veteran pundit Ian Wright experienced last May.

'This has only intensified feelings there may have been another fallout within the ranks, and it's increasingly unsettling for everybody involved.'

The source continued: 'Nobody is being told anything, but there is a sense something big is happening behind the scenes and when it drops, many people will be affected.'

The 63-year-old presenter, who was the BBC's highest-paid presenter with a salary of £1.35million, entered negotiations with the broadcaster's new director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, in October. 

As part of the announcement, Lineker said: 'I'm delighted to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank all those who made this happen.'

Lineker's relationship with Kay-Jelski has also been described as 'not exactly close' by The Sun's sources, with the new chief keen to slash spending and give the show a facelift.

Kay-Jelski added: '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.'

The former Tottenham, Barcelona and Leicester footballer's exit was effectively confirmed by his business partner Alastair Campbell, who claimed he would be a 'very hard act to follow'.

Lineker branched out in recent years by co-founding the production company Goalhanger, which produces his podcast The Rest is Football, with other titles including The Rest is History, The Rest is Entertainment and The Rest is Politics. The latter is co-hosted by Campbell.

Lineker's time as the face of Match of the Day has been divisive at times, with the presenter temporarily suspended last year for criticising the government's asylum policy in a controversially worded tweet.

He returned soon after following a walk-out by his MOTD colleagues who showed solidarity with the former England striker, and the row even prompted the Beeb to overhaul and draw up a new set of guidelines for its presenters and their social media use.

It has been hard for the BBC to keep a handle on him when he presents his popular podcast, The Rest Is Football, alongside Micah Richards and Alan Shearer. 

During Euro 2024 he branded England's performance against Denmark as 's***', which prompted a retaliation from Harry Kane, who hit out at attacks from pundits who knew what it is like to 'wear the shirt'.

Revealed - six of the top-seven favourites to replace Gary Lineker on Match of the Day are women as BBC looks to reboot the flagship show: Former England ace Alex Scott among the front-runners… and there are some VERY leftfield options

The BBC are plotting a major shake-up at Match of the Day after Gary Lineker leaves at the end of the season, insiders claimed last night.

Lineker, who took over presenting duties on the flagship BBC show from Des Lynam in 1999, is finally set to bring the curtain down after 26 years, paving the way for a brand new host.

The 63-year-old broadcaster is also set to leave the BBC entirely after the 2026 World Cup in America, Mexico, and Canada.

Lineker, who was spotted having tapas with his son as news of his exit broke last night, is the BBC's highest-paid presenter with a salary of around £1.35million but it's understood executives want to move the show in a fresh direction.

In fact, six of the top-seven favourites to replace Lineker are female presenters, with former Lioness Alex Scott among the front-runners.

Scott, who racked up 140 appearances for England and represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, is a regular MOTD stand-in when Lineker is away. 

After retiring from the game in 2017, she has broke through as one of the first mainstream female football pundits. 

The former Arsenal star took over presenting Football Focus from Dan Walker in 2021 and is a regular host at live games, including at the Euros, FA Cup and WSL.

But the 40-year-old presenter's future has been thrown into doubt in recent weeks, with sources claiming she was 'deeply hurt' by a 'lack of support' surrounding Football Focus' low ratings. 

If Scott does move away, one presenter who could fill the MOTD hole is former Olympian and BBC stalwart Gabby Logan.

In fact, the 51-year-old (4/1) is second favourite only to MOTD2 host Mark Chapman (6/4) with Ladbrokes. 

The BBC are toying with the idea of introducing a series of presenters with Chapman, 51, one of the anchors likely to be rotated. 

Chapman, a regular on BBC Radio 5 Live, has also recently begun hosting the BBC's new mid-week Champions League highlights show.

Jermaine Jenas was long considered to be the man who would take over Lineker, but he is now out of the running after being sacked over his sexting scandal.

The former Tottenham star admitted to sending 'inappropriate messages' to female colleagues, later insisting that 'nothing physical' happened but that he had 'cheated' on his wife Ellie, with whom he has three children. 

Sky Sports host Kelly Cates, whose father is Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, is also being tipped as a possible successor to Lineker.

A reporter with a wealth of experience, Cates joined Sky Sports in 1998 as a regular presenter but suddenly left in 2006.

In August 2016, she returned to the channel, where she now covers the Premier League's biggest games in the studio alongside the likes of Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher. 

Cates has rocketed up to third-favourite at 5/1 ahead of Football Focus anchor Scott and Eilidh Barbour on 6/1.

Barbour fronts Sky Sports' coverage of the Scottish Premiership and the BBC's golf coverage.

In 2018, she also joined the presenting team for MOTD 2, standing in for regular host Chapman. She has also covered the Women's World Cup for the BBC and the first-ever Premier League game on Amazon Prime Video. 

Popular presenters Kelly Somers (8/1) and Laura Woods (10/1) both have extensive experience and follow up behind them as favourites.

Somers became the sixth woman to present an edition of Match of the Day in 2020 and is frequently seen reporting for BBC. 

She was a regular during England's matches at the 2020 Euros and the World Cup in 2022 and fronted Channel 4's Three Lions coverage over the last two years.

Woods, meanwhile, made her name on TalkSport and has proved to be a popular host. She has since become the lead presenter for TNT Sports' Champions League coverage after replacing Jake Humphrey following the rebrand from BT Sport last year.

Woods has also presented football on Amazon Prime and ITV, covering this summer's Euros for the latter. 

Dan Walker, Micah Richards, and Manish Bhasin (all 12/1) are also among some of the favourites to take over.

While Somers, Woods, Walker, and Bhasin come from presenting backgrounds, Richards has taken the punditry route after his career in football which saw him play for Manchester City and England. 

He is on a regular pundit on Match of the Day and Sky Sports' Premier League coverage, and is part of the trio on Lineker's The Rest is Football podcast alongside Alan Shearer.

However, Shearer is forced to settle for odds of 25/1 to take over the hot seat. 

A name jumps out, level with Richards and others on 12/1, that few would have ever seen coming: history boffin Dan Jones.

Cambridge graduate Jones, known for his books and TV series mostly on English history such as 'Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty', used to write columns about sport for the London Evening Standard. 

However, that gig ended in 2019 and it is safe to say that he seems to be a far-fetched candidate considering his focus on other areas.