An emotional Gary Lineker signed off his final appearance fronting Match of the Day, the BBC’s flagship weekly Premier League highlights show, after more than 25 years in the job.
Lineker, 64, has presented Match of the Day since 1999, but is leaving the corporation altogether after he “apologised unreservedly” for sharing a social media post that included a rat emoji.
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After a montage of his goals, Lineker opened the show with a quip, saying “it wasn’t meant to end this way”, before — after a brief pause — adding, “but with the title race over and the relegation places confirmed, the Champions League was all we had left to talk about”.
During an interview with Liverpool head coach Arne Slot at the end of his side’s 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, Lineker was thanked by the Dutchman for being “such a great presenter of a BBC show that I have watched many times”.
Joined by regular Match of the Day pundits, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, Lineker, a former England international, ended Sunday night’s programme with an emotional tribute to his pundits and the BBC employees behind the camera.
“Rather like my football career, everyone else did all the hard work and I got the plaudits,” Lineker joked. “It has been an absolute privilege to have hosted Match of the Day for a quarter of a century. It has been utterly joyous. ”
Gary Lineker says goodbye to #MOTD after 25 years. pic.twitter.com/u1DORcO6Po
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) May 25, 2025
From August, Match of the Day will be fronted by broadcasters Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan, with the trio sharing presenting duties.
“I’d like to wish Gabby, Mark and Kelly all the very best when they sit in this chair,” Lineker added. “The programme is in the best of hands.”
Before Lineker’s closing monologue, the BBC paid tribute to Lineker with a montage from his 26-year stint, including messages from Shearer, Ian Wright, Virgil van Dijk, Pep Guardiola, Claudio Ranieri, Danny Murphy, Alan Hansen, as well as from his children.
An emotional Lineker was then gifted a Match of the Day cap, a golden boot and played a message from Andrea Bocelli, an Italian tenor.
Lineker announced in November that he was standing down from his presenting duties on Match of the Day at the end of this season. He has long been the BBC’s highest-paid employee, earning £1.35million ($1.83m) in 2023-24.
The plan was for Lineker to remain at the BBC to front next season’s FA Cup coverage and the 2026 men’s World Cup, which is being hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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However, on May 13, Lineker shared a post on Instagram — which he subsequently deleted — captioned “Zionism explained in two minutes” from the group Palestine Lobby. The post also included an illustration of a rat.
A rat has often been used as an antisemitic insult and refers to the language Nazi Germany used to characterise Jews.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) released a statement on its website describing Lineker’s position at the BBC as “untenable”, while also launching a petition for him to be sacked.
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and Alex Hearn, a director at Labour Against Antisemitism, also said the BBC should dismiss Lineker following the social media post.
Lineker issued an apology the day after the social media post, saying that he “would never knowingly share anything antisemitic” because “it goes against everything I believe in”.
“Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters,” his statement read.
“I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views. It was an error on my part for which I apologise unreservedly.”
Lineker is leaving the BBC after more than 25 years at the corporation (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Two days after Lineker presented the BBC’s coverage of the FA Cup final on May 17, it was announced that he would be leaving the corporation altogether.
“Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made,” Tim Davie, the BBC’s director-general, said in a statement. “Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.
“Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond. We want to thank him for the contribution he has made.”
Lineker said: “Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember – both on the pitch and in the studio.
“I care deeply about the game, and about the work I’ve done with the BBC over many years. As I’ve said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic – it goes against everything I stand for.
“However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.”
(Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
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