Lineker slams FIFA's 'incomprehensible' ticket prices and hails Kane as England's greatest ever number 9

Gary Lineker used a guest appearance on ITV’s 2026 World Cup coverage of Germany vs Ivory Coast to condemn FIFA’s ticket pricing policy and lavish praise on Harry Kane, who recently surpassed Lineker’s own England World Cup goalscoring record.

The 65-year-old, best known as the long-serving face of BBC’s Match of the Day before parting ways with the broadcaster following a dispute over political social media posts, was candid in his criticism of world football’s governing body.

“FIFA will argue that the stadiums are all full, and they are,” Lineker said, “but fans [are] having to take out a second mortgage, or sell their car to be able to afford to watch.”

Lineker was unsparing in his assessment of FIFA’s motives, questioning how a supposedly not-for-profit organisation could justify pricing out the supporters who travel to the tournament. “To fill the pockets of what is supposedly a not-for-profit organisation I just don’t understand what FIFA are doing and why they are making it so difficult,” he continued. “It’s incredible that so many fans have come here despite that. There seems to be a narrative building that the cost of US sport is always expensive… it is FIFA that sets the ticket prices.”

On a lighter note, Lineker was generous in his appraisal of Kane, the Bayern Munich striker who broke Lineker’s long-standing England World Cup scoring record against Croatia at this tournament. “I was genuinely pleased for Harry, obviously — it’s taken him an extra World Cup to do it! And there have been a few penalties in there,” Lineker joked.

He then offered a more serious verdict: “Harry is a way better number 9 than I was. I think he’s our best ever number 9.”

Lineker was not present for the half-time interval of Germany vs Ivory Coast, with Ivory Coast leading 1-0 at the break. The majority of his 2026 World Cup punditry is being delivered through The Rest Is Football series on Netflix.