Gary Lineker leaves Match of the Day LIVE: BBC confirms exit amid speculation over next host

Here we take a look at five candidates to replace Lineker:

Scott enjoyed a successful playing career with Arsenal and England before moving into broadcasting after her retirement in 2017.

She has presented The One Show and has also worked alongside Lineker in the past as a presenter of the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year programme.

She was also a contestant on one of the corporation’s flagship entertainment shows, Strictly Come Dancing, in 2019, while more recently has presented Football Focus.

Gary Lineker is leaving Match of the Day at the end of the current season but he will not be leaving the BBC just yet as he has agreed a contract extension with the broadcaster through to the 2026 World Cup.

Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, said: “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.”

The BBC have confirmed that Gary Lineker will be leaving Match of the Day after 25 years as hosts.

The official MOTD X, formerly Twitter, account posted: “The end of an era, after more than 25 years hosting Match of the Day.

“Gary will continue to host the FA Cup and lead the BBC’s 2026 World Cup coverage.”

Here we take a look at five candidates to replace Lineker:

Former gymnast Logan has presented MOTD in Lineker’s absence on many occasions in the past, while she also fronted the BBC’s coverage as the Lionesses stormed to glory in the Women’s Euros in 2023.

She has also been involved in the BBC’s coverage of Six Nations rugby, and the last four summer Olympic Games.

Here we take a look at five candidates to replace Lineker:

Mohammad first started to work for the BBC in 1997 and remains host of the organisation’s Final Score show on Saturday afternoon.

A regular deputy for Lineker and Chapman on both Match of the Day shows, the Welsh presenter has been among the BBC’s highest earners.

The football world is eagerly watching as the BBC prepares to find a successor for Gary Lineker, who will step down as Match of the Day host next year, at the end of the Premier League season.

Lineker, who has been synonymous with the show since 1999, leaves behind big shoes to fill, and rumours are already swirling about who might step in.

What do you think? Should the BBC pass the torch to a seasoned veteran or opt for a fresh voice? Share your thoughts HERE — we’ll highlight the best responses as they come in.

Here we take a look at five candidates to replace Lineker:

Somers became the sixth woman to present an edition of Match of the Day in 2020 and has held a variety of roles across the BBC.

A frequent face during matches for England’s men at the 2020 Euros and the World Cup in 2022, Somers has fronted Channel 4’s coverage of the national team over the last two years.

Former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy, who has served as a pundit on Match Of The Day, has been effusive in his praise Gary Lineker after the announcement he will be stepping down.

Murphy told talkSPORT: “I didn’t know. I knew the contract was up at the end of the season. So there’s been a lot of talk about it. I am a little bit surprised.

“Gary’s a friend of mine and he’s been phenomenal to me since the day I walked in the building. And a warm, charismatic, intelligent man who knows his football and has become part of everybody’s furniture, if you like, on a Saturday evening. And I’ll never forget how he treated me and how welcome he made me, how good he made me feel.

“He’s getting on a bit, just because he looks good for his age doesn’t mean he isn’t old. He’s getting tired in his old age, probably wants to just cook his Sunday roast.”

When Des Lynam hung up his moustache and walked away from the Match of the Day presenting gig in 1999, BBC bosses were faced with a conundrum. Lynam was popular with viewers and a sporting polymath but had jumped ship for ITV after they doubled his pay. Who could fill his boots on such a shoestring budget?

The answer was Gary Lineker. Described by the BBC, at the time, as having a “relaxed style”, Lineker was already familiar to viewers thanks not only to a stellar on-pitch career, but various presenting jobs across the corporation. He had appeared on Radio 5 Live and Grandstand, as well as a stint as a captain on They Think It’s All Over, a comedy panel show.

And as the lights came up on the 1999/2000 Premier League season, he found himself in one of biggest jobs in football media, presiding over the flagship highlights package of a season that featured 23 goals from his future sofa-mate, Alan Shearer. It was the start of a glittering 25-year tenure in the role – which will conclude next May after the BBC allegedly opted not to renew his contract – that would turn him from a predatory striker to one of the nation’s top broadcasters, and then into a powerful, and often controversial, media mogul.

Nick Hilton looks back on the highs and lows of a divisive figure:

With Gary Lineker set to leave his role as Match of the Day presenter at the end of the season, the BBC will soon begin the hunt for his replacement.

The likes of Alex Scott, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman are all thought to be in the frame to take the role.

Here we take a look at five candidates to replace Lineker: