Gary Lineker breaks silence as Match of the Day and future BBC plans confirmed

Gary Lineker will step down as host of Match of the Day at the end of the season, the BBC confirmed in a statement.

The ex-England striker has hosted the flagship Premier League highlights programme since 1999 and will continue to front coverage of the FA Cup and World Cup.

The 63-year-old former England striker and the corporation have “agreed in principle a contract extension through to the 2026 World Cup”, the corporation said.

Lineker said: “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, Director of BBC Sport, says: “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.”

Lineker will continue with the MOTD Top Ten podcast, while his The Rest is Football podcast, which also features BBC pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, will now be hosted on BBC Sounds.

Speculation will now mount over who will step into the hot seat with a current BBC presenter likely to be given the opportunity. The sports star, who regularly tops public lists of the BBC’s highest earners, appeared relaxed on Tuesday morning at his home in London as he went out to walk his dog.

Last year, he was briefly suspended from hosting the programme after his tweet about the British government’s asylum policy sparked a row about the corporation’s presenters expressing political views on social media.