Gary Lineker was one of England’s greatest World Cup heroes. Now his son is hoping to write his own betting fairytale. George Lineker, the 34-year-old entrepreneur and eldest son of the former England striker, landed a stunning £4,276.40 payout from a £20.03 stake on the 2022 World Cup final – and with Argentina back in Sunday’s showpiece, he is hoping lightning strikes twice.
George placed a seven-fold accumulator at odds of 170/1 on the extraordinary 2022 final in Qatar, where Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to a 3-3 draw against France – featuring a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick – before a dramatic penalty shootout. His bet correctly predicted that both Messi and Mbappe would score, the score would be 2-2 after 90 minutes, and Argentina would lift the trophy on penalties. Additional selections covered total corners and yellow cards.
“George Lineker won £4,276 on a 170/1 seven-fold bet on the 2022 World Cup final and hopes to repeat the feat for Sunday's final.”
Sharing the winning slip on social media, George joked: “If anyone deserves to win a bet, I think it’s me. Thank you all.” Piers Morgan replied: “Haha…you were due one. Congrats mate,” while his brother Spencer quipped: “The only good thing to come out of this.”
Lineker senior – winner of the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup and England’s record scorer with 10 goals until Harry Kane overtook him earlier this summer – is now a Netflix broadcaster on The Rest Is Football podcast. But all eyes are on George as Argentina prepare to face Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final.
Argentina booked their place with a dramatic comeback victory over England on Wednesday evening, with Messi providing two crucial assists. The 39-year-old, widely regarded as the greatest of all time, now has the chance to become a back-to-back World Cup winner. George Lineker will no doubt be poring over the odds, hoping to repeat his 2022 heroics.