Gary Lineker indicators off from ultimate Match of the Day as he leaves BBC after 26 years

Gary Lineker held again tears as he signed off from his ultimate version of Match of the Day after 26 years within the sizzling seat and formally left the BBC.

The host introduced in November that he would depart the soccer display on the finish of the Premier League season, which concluded on Sunday.

He have been because of stay with the BBC to entrance protection of the lads’s FA Cup and the World Cup, however has now left the company utterly after apologising for sharing an antisemitic social media publish.

On his swansong on Sunday, Lineker it appears made a nod to the talk, opening the display through telling audience “it wasn’t meant to end this way” – sooner than occurring to show the road right into a connection with the general day of the season.

At the top of the programme, Lineker was once introduced with a commemorative cap and golden boot through pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, who have been along him.

“It’s been an absolute privilege to have hosted Match of the Day for a quarter of a century. It’s been utterly joyous,” he mentioned.

Speaking immediately into the digital camera to audience at house, he added: “And my final thank you goes to all of you.

“Thank you for staring at, thanks for your entire love and beef up over time.

“It’s been so special, and I’m sorry that your team was always on last. Time to say goodbye.”

The former England ahead changed Des Lynam as the principle presenter of the BBC’s flagship soccer programme in 1999, and went directly to turn out to be its highest-paid presenter.

He hit the headlines for airing his critiques past soccer on social media, then again.

He was once suspended in 2023 for a publish concerning the then-government’s asylum coverage, with a lot of fellow BBC Sport presenters and pundits strolling out in beef up.

After Lineker was once reinstated, the BBC issued new regulations for presenters posting on social media.

Earlier this month, Lineker was once criticised for sharing a social media publish about Zionism that integrated an indication of a rat, traditionally used as an antisemitic insult.

Lineker apologised, announcing he had now not noticed the picture and “would never consciously repost anything antisemitic”.

However, it was once then introduced he would depart the BBC previous than anticipated, and that Sunday’s display could be his remaining.

In a observation on the time, Lineker mentioned soccer have been “at the heart of my life” and that he cared deeply concerning the recreation and his BBC paintings, however he recognised “the error and upset that I caused”.

“Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action,” he mentioned.

BBC director normal Tim Davie thanked Lineker for being “a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades”, and mentioned they’d “agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season”.

Lineker’s ultimate episode within the presenter’s chair on Sunday noticed him interview Liverpool supervisor Arne Slot as they amassed the Premier League trophy.

Slot paid tribute, announcing: “Thank you for being such a great presenter of a BBC show that I watched many times when I lived in Holland, and now still.”

The display started with a montage of former Everton and Spurs striker Lineker’s objectives and later seemed again on highlights of his time on the helm of Match of the Day.

This integrated him famously presenting a phase whilst dressed in simplest his Leicester City boxer shorts, as he had promised, after his boyhood staff received the Premier League in 2016.

His longstanding sidekicks Shearer and Richards additionally paid tribute, introducing a montage that integrated testimonies from the likes of Alan Hansen, Ian Wright and Paul Gascgoine in addition to the overdue Johan Cruyff, Andrea Bocelli and Lineker’s sons.

“You won’t believe it but you will be missed,” introduced Manchester City supervisor Pep Guardiola.

“You’ve been great to me and you’ve been unbelievable to Match of the Day,” added Shearer.

In January, it was once published that Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan would collectively take over Match of the Day presenting obligations from the beginning of the 2025-26 season.

“I’d like to wish Gabby, Mark and Kelly all the very best when they sit in this chair,” famous Lineker.

“The programme is in the best of hands.”