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LINEKER WILL NO LONGER FRONT THE BBC'S COVERAGE OF THE 2026 WORLD CUP OR THE FA CUP NEXT SEASON, WITH HIS FINAL APPEARANCE ON MATCH OF THE DAY AIRING ON MAY 25 JAMES PALLATT and CASEY
COOPER-FISKE AND JONATHAN VEAL PA 12:04, 03 Jun 2025 Former Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker has taken his The Rest Is Football podcast to broadcaster DAZN following his departure
from the BBC. The partnership will see the podcast, which is fronted by Lineker alongside the BBC football highlights show's pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, include footage of
the Club World Cup tournament in the video version of the show. Pete Oliver, chief executive of growth markets at DAZN, said: "The Rest Is Football is essential viewing and listening
for fans who want insight, entertainment, and personality - and this partnership is a brilliant way to bring the Fifa Club World Cup even closer to that audience. "It's about
connecting global football with the voices fans trust and love, and showing the tournament in a fresh, exciting, and authentically British way." The deal with DAZN comes after the
podcast, produced by the former Barcelona striker's Goalhanger Podcasts, was removed from the BBC's audio streaming service last week following Lineker's exit from the
corporation. The Club World Cup will see teams from across the world such as Spain's Real Madrid, Argentina's River Plate and Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds compete against one
another in the US, Article continues below The 64-year-old left his presenting role early following a social media row after he shared a post about Zionism which featured a depiction of a
rat, historically an antisemitic insult. Lineker, who issued an unreserved apology, will no longer front the BBC's coverage of the 2026 World Cup or the FA Cup next season, with his
final appearance on Match Of The Day airing on May 25. Speaking on The Rest Is Football after his final episode of Match Of The Day, Lineker said of leaving the role: "I was a bit
tired, and a bit emotional last night, I'm fine. Article continues below "I'm good, and thank you both for your very kind words last night. I must say, when they played the
montage, obviously, I knew something was coming, but I didn't know what it was at all. "(I was) struggling to keep myself (together), especially when I saw my boys, you know what
it's like when it's family and stuff, and thankfully that wasn't the last clip, because I'd gone at that point, I needed time to get myself together to try and get
through the end of the show." Lineker had presented Match Of The Day since 1999 and fronted the BBC's coverage of other major sporting events, including the 2012 London Olympics.