Gary Lineker confirms huge TV deal for 2026 World Cup in ‘multi-million pound’ move

Gary Lineker’s bank balance is poised to receive a hefty boost at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

It was reported in November Lineker was set to ink a lucrative deal with Netflix for the streaming rights to his podcast, The Rest Is Football, next summer.

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With an agreement reached, the former England striker has confirmed the news.

Lineker said the deal was a ‘fantastic opportunity for the three of us to do what we love – talk football every day – but on a truly global stage’.

“Expect all the usual analysis, honesty and plenty of laughs… just with a few more cameras pointed at us, all from the Big Apple.”

The 65-year-old said he will be based in New York for the tournament.

And for Lineker, that means his wallet is about to gain some serious weight.

Gary Lineker’s big pay day

According to The Sun, Lineker’s deal with Netflix will gazump his former contract with the BBC, where he was their highest-paid presenter at £1.35million a year.

But as part of the agreement, Lineker’s show will become a daily fixture as opposed to the current set-up of three shows a week.

The report adds co-hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will have a prominent role in the podcast at the World Cup.

Netflix’s poaching of Lineker’s hit podcast comes as a bitter blow to the BBC, who failed to nab the rights to the show upon the 65-year-old’s controversial departure from the network.

While Lineker was a BBC employee, BBC Sounds housed The Rest Is Football.

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But following his exit, the show became available on various platforms, including Spotify and YouTube.

The podcast boasts an audience upwards of eight million.

Why did Gary Lineker leave the BBC?

Lineker was initially set to host the BBC’s coverage of next year’s World Cup as part of his exit plan from the network when it was confirmed he would step down as Match of the Day host at the end of the 2024/25 Premier League season.

However, those plans were drastically changed amid an anti-semitism row last May.

Lineker came under fire for re-sharing a pro-Gaza video which likened supporters of Israel to rats.

The image of rats has historically been used as part of antisemitic propaganda, including in Nazi Germany during the 1930s.

It was reported Lineker would not receive a payout from the BBC upon his departure as his 25-year stint with the network came to a dramatic conclusion.

Tim Davie, BBC Director-General, said: “Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made, BBC Director-General Tim Davie said upon Lineker’s exit.

“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.”

When is the 2026 World Cup?

Lineker, Shearer and Richards will have plenty to cover in The Rest Is Football once the action gets underway at next year’s World Cup on June 11.

The tournament, played across the United States, Canada and Mexico, will run until the final on July 19.