Lineker says he's free from 'eggshells' after BBC exit and calls out their World Cup coverage plan

Gary Lineker says he is no longer “treading on so many eggshells” since leaving the BBC in May 2025, and has questioned the corporation’s decision to keep most of its presenters and pundits in the United Kingdom for the majority of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Lineker, 65, stepped down as Match of the Day host after 26 years following backlash over his social media activity, most notably an Instagram post featuring a depiction of a rat alongside commentary about Zionism — an image widely condemned as invoking an antisemitic trope.

Speaking to the Press Association, Lineker reflected warmly on his time at the corporation while making clear that his new circumstances suit him. “I had a wonderful period at the Beeb, and I’ve covered so many major tournaments,” he said. “But now I’m doing something different, which is really exciting.”

For the 2026 tournament, Lineker will front a daily Netflix show built around his podcast The Rest Is Football, produced by his company Goalhanger Podcasts, alongside former footballers Micah Richards and Alan Shearer. He contrasted that setup with the BBC’s reported plan to base most of its talent in the UK until the final week, while ITV positions its team in New York throughout the competition.

“I’m a bit surprised the Beeb are not going until possibly the very latter stages of the competition,” Lineker said. “I won’t miss being in the green box itself, but I miss some of the company. But the fact we’ve got our own show now with loads of guests and stuff, that’s been replaced completely.”

He was careful to draw a distinction between his new venture and the broadcasters holding live rights. “We’re not in competition with the BBC in this, because obviously they’re focused on live football. We haven’t got the rights, but we’ve got a show that people can watch alongside. I think the BBC and ITV both, obviously, cover football brilliantly.”

Lineker also raised concerns about the political backdrop to the tournament, noting that the United States is effectively at war with Iran — one of the competing nations — through its military confrontation with Tehran. The former Barcelona striker, who famously never received a yellow card throughout his playing career, drew comparisons with previous tournaments clouded by controversy, including LGBTQ+ rights concerns ahead of Qatar 2022 and Russia hosting the 2018 edition four years after its invasion of Crimea.

“This time we’ve got a first, probably,” he said. “We’ve got the host nation at war with one of the competing countries.” He described the situation as unprecedented in his experience of covering major tournaments.