Gary Lineker has confessed he won’t be pining for the late-night treks home as his tenure on Match of the Day draws to a close – but he will miss sharing his Saturdays with his punditry pals. The Tottenham Hotspur and England icon is nearing the end of his run as the lead presenter of the popular show.
At 64, Lineker is preparing to present his final episode of the Premier League highlight programme before passing the baton to Gabby Logan, Mark Chapman, and Kelly Cates, who will take turns presenting from the 2025/26 season onwards.
However, the ex-forward’s time in the broadcasting spotlight isn’t completely winding down, as he’ll continue to front the BBC’s live FA Cup coverage next season, as well as the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
While speaking with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, Lineker was nudged about his approaching last show. It was during this ribbing that he shared his distaste for certain aspects of the job and gave hints about his future in football television.
On The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker, when told that his next Match of the Day show will be his last, Lineker said: “Of course I know that. Do you know who the pundits are on that show? You boys (Shearer and Richards)!
“I did my last Saturday night at the weekend, because the final day of the season is played on a Sunday. Yeah, it’s the last one.
“The last time I will have that journey back at midnight. I won’t miss that part of it… but I will miss you boys!”.
After a tenure of over 25 years, Lineker is set to leave his position as host of Match of the Day, a role he has held since 1999 when he took over from Des Lynam. When questioned by Richards if he will still be involved in football broadcasting, Lineker said: “No.
“I think, certainly, post World Cup final next year, I don’t think you’ll see me do much television. I might appear on a guest show or something like that.
“But I don’t think, football wise, I am going to do that anymore. I just want to go and watch football and enjoy it.”
In a recent conversation on the Stephen Hendry Cue Tips podcast, Lineker revealed his primary focus would now be on his company, Goalhanger, which has established itself as a leader in podcast production. He said: “We’ve got a podcast, a ‘Podcast empire’ we like to call it.
“But, I mean, it’s amazing. So, I’m definitely focussed on that now. Unless something… I really don’t envisage me doing TV much. Maybe, you know, occasional appearances on something, but not (what he was doing before).”
When asked if he thinks he will completely turn away from sport, as some sporting figures do when they retire, Lineker replied: “I love watching football and I find it much nicer watching football at home in the studio.
“I love watching it. I love the sport, I love watching lots of sports. I watch a lot of snooker and I watch a lot of golf.”
