Gary Lineker joins ITV for World Cup coverage
Gary Lineker will appear on ITV for Saturday’s World Cup coverage of Germany against the Ivory Coast in Toronto, reports BritPanorama.
The former Match of the Day host is set to feature on the BBC’s arch-rivals, slightly over a year after his departure from the corporation. Insiders have described the arrangement as a guest appearance, although the precise nature of his role remains uncertain.
ITV’s broadcast from the Canadian city begins at 8pm, with the Group E encounter scheduled to kick off at 9pm. Lineker had been expected to conclude a 26-year association with the BBC at this summer’s tournament; however, his tenure was cut short in May 2025 following sustained criticism of his social media activity.
The controversy centred on political posts, including the downtrodden sharing of an Instagram image depicting a rat, a symbol with antisemitic connotations. The broadcaster’s highest-paid presenter of all time apologised in response to the backlash over the post.
Lineker’s exit from the BBC followed the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, closing a long-standing relationship with the public broadcaster. Post-BBC, he secured a deal with Netflix, reportedly valued at £14 million, to front The Rest Is Football podcast, produced through his company Goalhanger. Throughout the tournament, Lineker has been recording daily episodes alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards from a studio in Times Square.
His agreement with the streaming giant does not appear to contain any clauses preventing him from appearing on ITV. For Saturday’s fixture, he is expected to take on a punditry role rather than presentation duties. ITV has assembled a robust lineup of analysts for their World Cup coverage, including Gary Neville, Ian Wright, and Roy Keane.
The channel seems to be besting the BBC in the competition for World Cup audiences, with ITV securing four of the five highest-rated broadcasts so far. England’s 4-2 triumph over Croatia drew a peak audience of 15.4 million viewers and an average of 10 million, making it the most-watched programme in Britain this year. In contrast, the BBC’s coverage of France against Senegal managed peak viewership of just 6.7 million and an average of 5.9 million.
The BBC has opted against sending pundits to the United States until the knockout rounds and currently lacks a studio presence in the country. Meanwhile, ITV has invested significantly, broadcasting from a prominent Manhattan location.
In the fast-paced environment of international football, Lineker’s career trajectory reflects the intertwining of media and sport, and how high-profile figures continue to adapt in a landscape marked by scrutiny and competition.
