Gary Lineker appeared on ITV’s World Cup coverage on Saturday, having left their rival broadcaster, the BBC.
The former England striker was brought in by ITV as a studio guest for the Germany vs. Ivory Coast game alongside regulars Laura Woods, Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Duncan Ferguson.
Since leaving the BBC, Lineker has focused on his company Goalhanger Podcasts’ production of their “The Rest Is Football” podcast. With Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, Lineker has recorded daily episodes from a studio overlooking Times Square in New York City with Netflix as his broadcast partner.
But he isn’t exclusive to Netflix, and made the short trip to ITV’s World Cup studio in Brooklyn on Saturday.
ITV and BBC are sharing World Cup coverage for the UK. ITV’s great rivals and Lineker’s former employers are covering the World Cup from their Salford home.
Lineker was aligned to the BBC for 26 years, most notably hosting “Match of the Day.” He was originally due to host their World Cup coverage this summer.
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That relationship ended in a row over Lineker’s social media posts.
He stepped away after the final “Match of the Day” episode for the 2024-25 Premier League season. He had been their highest-paid on-air talent.
Lineker was not announced as part of ITV’s group of broadcast talent at the start of the World Cup.
