Gary Lineker to leave BBC after social media 'error'

Gary Lineker has confirmed he will leave the BBC after presenting his final episode of Match of the Day on Sunday.

The 64-year-old had been expected to front future coverage of the FA Cup and World Cup, but was criticised last week after sharing a social media post about Zionism that included an illustration of a rat, historically used as an antisemitic insult.

In a statement on Monday, Lineker reiterated that he didn't know about the post's antisemitic connotations, adding that he "recognises the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am".

He added: "Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action."

The BBC's director general Tim Davie, said in a statement: "Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.

"Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond. We want to thank him for the contribution he has made."

Lineker said: "Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember – both on the pitch and in the studio.

"I care deeply about the game, and about the work I've done with the BBC over many years. As I've said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic – it goes against everything I stand for.

"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."

Lineker and the BBC had announced last year that he would leave Match of the Day at the end of this season.

But he had been due to remain at the forefront of the BBC coverage of the men's FA Cup and the World Cup in 2026.

In a recent interview with the BBC's Amol Rajan he said he had a sense that the BBC wanted him to step down from Match of the Day.

The former England striker replaced Des Lynam as the corporation's main presenter for the Premier League highlights show in 1999.

Roger Mosey, former director of BBC Sport and ex-head of BBC television news, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday he believed the "difficulty" was that "you can't both be the highest paid presenter and be a social media activist".

"I think it's always been a problem that allowing Gary to do the amount of social media he did and also be the BBC's highest paid presenter was never going to be easy," he said.

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