Gary Lineker, the former England striker and long-time BBC presenter, caused a stir on Saturday night when he appeared on ITV's coverage of the World Cup in a surprise cameo—and immediately joked about his old habits. The moment, in which Lineker started introducing the show before host Laura Woods gently reminded him that was her job, encapsulated the playful tone of his return to free-to-air television after leaving the BBC last May. For UK viewers who grew up watching him front Match of the Day, seeing Lineker on a rival channel is a landmark shift in the broadcasting landscape.
Lineker is no longer a BBC employee. He departed the corporation in May 2025 after 26 years as the lead presenter of Match of the Day, following a highly publicised row over impartiality rules. Since then, he has co-hosted a daily show on Netflix called The Rest Is Football, filmed from Times Square in New York. But his role at ITV marks his first regular punditry gig on a major UK free-to-air channel since leaving the BBC. He was announced on Friday as a pundit for ITV's coverage of Germany against Ivory Coast in Group E of the World Cup, and his appearance included a light-hearted segment where he was asked about Harry Kane equalling his England World Cup goal record. Lineker praised Kane, calling him "our best ever number nine" while joking about the number of penalties Kane had scored.
“Gary Lineker's move to ITV for World Cup 2026 punditry, after leaving the BBC.”
The background to Lineker's move lies in his tumultuous exit from the BBC. The 65-year-old was a fixture of British football broadcasting, but in March 2023 he was briefly suspended after criticising the government's asylum policy on social media. An independent review later led to new social media guidelines, but Lineker ultimately decided to leave when his contract expired. Since then, he has built a portfolio career: his Netflix show, a game show called The Box for ITV (which he will present), and now punditry for ITV's World Cup coverage. His dig at the BBC during the broadcast—where he noted that ITV's studio had a real backdrop of Times Square, while the BBC faced criticism for not being based in America for the World Cup—highlighted the competitive edge between the two broadcasters.
For UK readers, this matters because it signals a changing of the guard in football coverage. Lineker was the face of BBC football for decades, and his move to ITV gives the channel a major name for its World Cup coverage. It also underscores the shift towards multi-platform talent: Lineker now works for Netflix, ITV, and presumably other outlets, rather than being tied to one public service broadcaster. His presence on ITV also offers a different tone—more relaxed and jokey, as seen in his banter with Woods. For fans, it means they can still see Lineker on free-to-air television, but in a new role that allows him to be less constrained by BBC impartiality rules.
Q: Why did Gary Lineker leave the BBC? Lineker left the BBC in May 2025 after 26 years as the presenter of Match of the Day. His departure followed a controversy in 2023 when he was suspended for criticising the government's asylum policy on social media; an independent review later led to new guidelines, but Lineker chose not to renew his contract.
Q: What is Gary Lineker doing now? He co-hosts a daily Netflix show called The Rest Is Football, filmed from Times Square in New York. He also has a new ITV game show called The Box, and he is working as a pundit for ITV's coverage of the 2026 World Cup.
Q: Will Gary Lineker be on ITV for the rest of the World Cup? The sources do not specify how many games he will cover, but his appearance for Germany vs Ivory Coast was announced as a punditry role. ITV has not confirmed whether he will feature in later matches.
What happens next is unclear from the sources. ITV has not announced any further appearances for Lineker beyond the Germany-Ivory Coast match, but given the positive reception and his comment about wanting to see ITV's set, further cameos are possible. His game show The Box is expected to air later this year on ITV. Meanwhile, the BBC faces continued scrutiny over its World Cup coverage not being based in the US, and Lineker's move to ITV may prompt further questions about the future of football broadcasting on British television.