Tearful Gary Lineker signs off from Match of the Day with emotional speech

An emotional Gary Lineker bid farewell to Match of the Day on Sunday night after 25 years as the show’s presenter. The former England striker has left the BBC earlier than planned after apologising for sharing a post that led to accusations of anti-semitism. Lineker cut an emotional figure during his final BBC appearanceBBC Lineker was always due to step down from Match of the Day at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, but will no longer be part of the BBC’s coverage of next season’s FA Cup or the 2026 World Cup. Sitting alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, the 64-year-old opened his final episode of the Premier League highlights show with a classic one-liner. “It wasn’t meant to end this way,” he began. “But with the title race over and the relegation places confirmed, the Champions League was all we had left to talk about.” The show was littered with references to Lineker’s departure from both his co-hosts and interviewees, including Liverpool manager Arne Slot, whose team lifted the Premier League trophy on Sunday. Slot said: “Thank you for being a great presenter of a BBC show I have watched many times when I lived in Holland and now still. “Great what you did and (I would have) liked that I could give you a Liverpool shirt instead of the other clubs you played for.” As the show drew to a close, the BBC played a seven-minute clip with tributes to Lineker from across the world of football, featuring Shearer, Richards, Ian Wright, Danny Murphy, Alan Smith, Alan Hansen, Guy Mowbay, Paul Gascoigne, Peter Shilton, Virgil van Dijk, Pep Guardiola, Slot, Claudio Ranieri, and Andrea Bocelli. Lineker was seen wiping away tears before giving his own farewell speech to the viewers at home. Fighting back more tears, he said: “Let me take the opportunity to thank all the other pundits I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the last 25 years. You’ve made my job so much easier. “Also, thanks to all those you don’t see at home. The work that goes into making this iconic show is a huge team effort. Gary Lineker tributes (selected) Virgil van Dijk: “He’s a legend and I was fortunate to meet him a couple of times.” Micah Richards: “His greatest strength, when all the stuff that’s going on in our ears, he’s the calmest person in the room. Thank you very much for all the advice, all the support. You’ve been absolutely instrumental.” Ian Wright: “I wish you all the best my friend, because I love you very much.” Alan Shearer: ”Match of the Day is everything to him. He loves it, it means the world to him. Off air he’s very calm, very generous. You are an amazing friend.” Pep Guardiola: “I love the programme, I am a big fan, hopefully life gives you the next challenge.” “From the editors to the analysis team, from the commentators to the floor managers, from the producers to the camera operators, from the PAs to the subs. Thank you all, you’re the very best. “Much like my football career, everyone else did all the hard work and I got the plaudits. “It’s been an absolute privilege to host Match of the Day for a quarter of a century. It’s been utterly joyous. “I’d like to wish Gabby (Logan), Mark (Chapman), and Kelly (Cates) all the best when they sit in the chair The programme is in the best of hands. “My final thank you goes to all of you. Thank you for watching. Thank you for all your love and support over the years. It’s been so special. “I’m sorry that your team was always on last. Time to say goodbye.”

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Tearful Gary Lineker signs off from Match of the Day with emotional speech

An emotional Gary Lineker bid farewell to Match of the Day on Sunday night after 25 years as the show’s presenter.

The former England striker has left the BBC earlier than planned after apologising for sharing a post that led to accusations of anti-semitism.

Lineker cut an emotional figure during his final BBC appearance

Lineker was always due to step down from Match of the Day at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, but will no longer be part of the BBC’s coverage of next season’s FA Cup or the 2026 World Cup.

Sitting alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, the 64-year-old opened his final episode of the Premier League highlights show with a classic one-liner.

“It wasn’t meant to end this way,” he began. “But with the title race over and the relegation places confirmed, the Champions League was all we had left to talk about.”

The show was littered with references to Lineker’s departure from both his co-hosts and interviewees, including Liverpool manager Arne Slot, whose team lifted the Premier League trophy on Sunday.

Slot said: “Thank you for being a great presenter of a BBC show I have watched many times when I lived in Holland and now still.

“Great what you did and (I would have) liked that I could give you a Liverpool shirt instead of the other clubs you played for.”

As the show drew to a close, the BBC played a seven-minute clip with tributes to Lineker from across the world of football, featuring Shearer, Richards, Ian Wright, Danny Murphy, Alan Smith, Alan Hansen, Guy Mowbay, Paul Gascoigne, Peter Shilton, Virgil van Dijk, Pep Guardiola, Slot, Claudio Ranieri, and Andrea Bocelli.

Lineker was seen wiping away tears before giving his own farewell speech to the viewers at home.

Fighting back more tears, he said: “Let me take the opportunity to thank all the other pundits I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the last 25 years. You’ve made my job so much easier.

“Also, thanks to all those you don’t see at home. The work that goes into making this iconic show is a huge team effort.

Gary Lineker tributes (selected)

Virgil van Dijk: “He’s a legend and I was fortunate to meet him a couple of times.”

Micah Richards: “His greatest strength, when all the stuff that’s going on in our ears, he’s the calmest person in the room. Thank you very much for all the advice, all the support. You’ve been absolutely instrumental.”

Ian Wright: “I wish you all the best my friend, because I love you very much.”

Alan Shearer: ”Match of the Day is everything to him. He loves it, it means the world to him. Off air he’s very calm, very generous. You are an amazing friend.”

Pep Guardiola: “I love the programme, I am a big fan, hopefully life gives you the next challenge.”

“From the editors to the analysis team, from the commentators to the floor managers, from the producers to the camera operators, from the PAs to the subs. Thank you all, you’re the very best.

“Much like my football career, everyone else did all the hard work and I got the plaudits.

“It’s been an absolute privilege to host Match of the Day for a quarter of a century. It’s been utterly joyous.

“I’d like to wish Gabby (Logan), Mark (Chapman), and Kelly (Cates) all the best when they sit in the chair The programme is in the best of hands.

“My final thank you goes to all of you. Thank you for watching. Thank you for all your love and support over the years. It’s been so special.

“I’m sorry that your team was always on last. Time to say goodbye.”