Gary Lineker digs out BBC World Cup call – ‘Not treading on eggshells’ | Football | Sport
Gary Lineker has hit out at the BBC after leaving the company last year. (Image: Getty)
Former England captain and television presenter Gary Lineker has said he is “not treading on so many eggshells these days” since departing the BBC. The 65-year-old stood down after 26 years as Match of the Day host in May 2025, following controversy over him expressing his political views on social media.
His exit came after a row following an Instagram post he made about Zionism, which featured a depiction of a rat, historically an antisemitic insult. Lineker will bring The Rest Is Football, produced by his production company Goalhanger Podcasts, to Netflix for the 2026 World Cup for a daily TV show, alongside former footballers Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, covering events in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Speaking about life beyond the BBC, Lineker told the Press Association: “I’ve got a bit more time, I’m not treading on quite so many eggshells these days, I’m allowed an opinion on things.
“But no, I had a wonderful period at the Beeb, and I’ve covered so many major tournaments, and obviously I was going to do this (the 2026 World Cup) originally, but now I’m doing something different, which is really exciting.”
While ITV is positioning its team in New York throughout the tournament, the BBC intends to keep most of its presenters and pundits in the UK until the final week.
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Making clear he did not agree with that decision, Lineker added: “I’m a bit surprised the Beeb are not going until possibly the very latter stages of the competition. I won’t miss being in the green box itself, but I miss some of the company.
“But the fact we’ve got our own show now with loads of guests and stuff, that’s been replaced completely. We’re not in competition with the BBC in this, because obviously they’re focused on live football.
“We haven’t got the rights, but we’ve got a show that people can watch alongside. I think the BBC and ITV both, obviously, cover football brilliantly.”
Gary Lineker left the BBC last year. (Image: Getty)
Lineker went on to voice his concerns regarding the US co-hosting the tournament, given the actions of President Donald Trump, including his conflict with Iran, who are among the competing nations.
The former Barcelona striker, who remarkably never received a yellow card throughout his entire career, noted that controversy had surrounded every World Cup he had covered, pointing to concerns over LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar in 2022 and Russia‘s hosting in 2018, just four years after its invasion of Crimea.
He said: “This time we’ve got a first, probably, I think. We’ve got the host nation at war with one of the competing countries. You’ve got an unpredictable leader.
“But from my experience, which is a lot, once we get there, once it starts, it’s always all right, it’s always great, the football takes over, and I’m very much hoping that that’s the case, that we don’t have to cover the negatives and what’s gone on, and hopefully nothing goes wrong.
“But I am a little bit more nervous about this one, than others, for obvious reasons.”
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