The real reason Match of the Day star Gary Lineker is leaving show revealed

Emmy Griffiths
·3 min read
Gary Lineker is stepping down from MOTD
Gary Lineker is stepping down from MOTD (Pete Dadds)

Gary Lineker is set to step down as the host of the hit show Match of the Day after an incredible 26-tenure on the show. The retired footballer, who is set to be leaving the BBC entirely after covering the 2026 World Cup, has yet to speak about leaving the show - but the reason behind his exit have been widely reported.

According to BBC Breakfast, it is understood that Gary will be leaving his position on the show after contract negotiations with BBC's new head of sport failed. While the TV personality was reportedly open to remaining on the show, he was not offered a new contract by the network.

The 63-year-old previously opened up about his future on the show, telling Esquire that he would have to "slow down at some point". Speaking about his potential exit, Alastair Campbell was among those to praise him, calling him a "hard act to follow".

Eilidh Barbour, Rio Ferdinand, Jermaine Jenas, Ashley Williams, Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker, Thierry Henry, Alex Scott MBE, Gabby Logan, Micah Richards, Shelly Kerr photographed for the Euros
Eilidh Barbour, Rio Ferdinand, Jermaine Jenas, Ashley Williams, Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker, Thierry Henry, Alex Scott MBE, Gabby Logan, Micah Richards, Shelly Kerr photographed for the Euros (Nick Eagle)

The star was met with some controversy recently after BBC salaries were shared, revealing that he was among of the highest-paid stars on the payroll earning around £1.3 million a year with his work on MOTD as well as World Cups, European Championships and Sports Personality of the Year.

Fans shared their thoughts on the matter on social media, with one person posting on X: "Perhaps unpopular about Gary Lineker, but I think it’s a massive loss to not have him on MOTD, he’s one of the remaining presenters/pundits who is just pure football and truly loves it for everything that it is without agenda, it will be incredibly hard to replace him."

Gary Lineker was one of the BBC's highest paid presenters
Gary Lineker was one of the BBC's highest paid presenters (Alex Pantling)

Another fan added: "MotD simply won't be the same without Gary Lineker, it feels like a massive loss to football broadcasting. All of the people who dislike him are exactly the sort of people you want to be [annoying]."

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There has also been speculation for who could replace him, with Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman among popular names. Jermaine Jenas, who was dismissed from the BBC in 2024 for 'inappropriate behaviour', previously opened up about wanting to replace Gary on the show, telling HELLO!: "I have a lot of dreams and those dreams probably change every six months. I'm just a driven individual, I'm just trying to achieve the best I can possibly be in the field that I'm in.

Gary Lineker in a green jacket with a background of footballs
Gary's contract has not been renewed (Holly McCandless-Desmond)

"With that particular job, people saw what I was doing in that field and put one and one together and got two. 'Gary's coming to an end, Jermaine is doing great work, he's got to be in line'. But there's people like Gabby Logan and Alex Scott who would love that job."