Revealed: The favourites to replace Gary Lineker as Match of the Day presenter – with England legend set to leave iconic BBC show after 26 years at the end of the season

The favourites to replace Gary Lineker as Match of the Day presenter have been revealed – including a shock candidate from an unrelated field of expertise. 

Lineker is set to leave the quit the iconic BBC show at the end of the season after 26 years in the driving seat. 

The Sun initially reported that he will step down but continue presenting FA Cup coverage and at the 2026 World Cup, with the BBC later appearing to confirm the news. 

Lineker is the BBC’s highest-paid presenter with a salary of around £1.35million but executives want to move the show in a fresh direction. 

And Mark Chapman, host of Match of the Day 2, is the frontrunner at 6/4 with Ladbrokes to steer that brave new era, ahead of Gabby Logan on 4/1.

Match of the Day 2 host Mark Chapman is the favourite at 6/4 with Ladbrokes to succeed him

Gabby Logan is 5/1 to step into the position and would bring a wealth of experience 

Kelly Cates, who mostly presents with Sky Sports, has rocketed up to third-favourite at 5/1 ahead of Football Focus anchor Alex Scott and Eilidh Barbour on 6/1.

Kelly Somers (8/1), Laura Woods (10/1), Dan Walker (12/1), Micah Richards, and Manish Bhasin all have extensive experience and follow up behind them.

While Somers, Woods, Walker, and Bhasin come from presenting backgrounds, Richards has taken the punditry route after his career in football whihch saw him play for Manchester City and England. 

He is on a regular pundit on Match of the Day and Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage, and is part of the trio on Lineker’s The Rest is Football podcast alongside Alan Shearer.

However, Shearer is forced to settle for odds of 25/1 to take over the hot seat. 

A name jumps out, level with Richards and others on 12/1, that few would have ever seen coming: history boffin Dan Jones.

Cambridge graduate Jones, known for his books and TV series mostly on English history such as ‘Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty’, used to write columns about sport for the London Evening Standard. 

However, that gig ended in 2019 and it is safe to say that he seems to be a far-fetched candidate considering his focus on other areas. 

Kelly Cates, who fronts Premier League coverage for Sky Sports, is this third favourite

Historian Dan Jones has unexpectedly been named as one of the contenders to replace Lineker

He is level with the likes of ex-Man City star Micah Richards, who is a pundit on MOTD, at 12/1

TNT Sports star Laura Woods, popular for her Champions League coverage, is also on 12/1 

Lineker’s exit will close a long – and controversial – chapter for one of the nation’s most iconic shows. 

The BBC’s director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, is ‘not exactly close’ with Lineker and is keen to slash spending and give the show a facelift, a source told The Sun. The decision to part ways with him comes after six weeks of talks.

Lineker’s time as the face of Match of the Day has been divisive at times, with the presenter temporarily suspended last year for criticising the government’s asylum policy in a controversially worded tweet.

‘Broadcaster Gary Lineker is to step down as host of flagship football programme Match of the Day at the end of this season, BBC News understands,’ the BBC wrote on Monday evening.

He returned soon after following a walk-out by his MOTD colleagues who showed solidarity with the former England striker, and the row even prompted the Beeb to overhaul and draw up a new set of guidelines for its presenters and their social media use.

It has been hard for the BBC to keep a handle on him when he presents his popular podcast, The Rest Is Football, alongside Micah Richards and Alan Shearer.

During Euro 2024 he branded England’s performance against Denmark as ‘s***’, which prompted a retaliation from Harry Kane, who hit out at attacks from pundits who knew what it is like to ‘wear the shirt’.

That shock jock tone landed him in hot water and stands in stark contrast to the more composed, cerebral style that Match of the Day upholds.

Former England star Lineker first started presenting the iconic highlights show back in 1999

Arguably his most iconic moment on the show came when he presented it in his underpants in August 2016 after Leicester City won the Premier League title 

Lineker’s future has been the subject of speculation for some time, especially after Mail Sport reevaled an email in October which purported to announce his impending departure

His contract with the BBC finishes at the end of this season but he has been given an 18-month extension. However, that will not include Match of the Day anchoring duties.

In October, Mail Sport revealed an email purportedly from the BBC’s director of sport, Kay-Jelski, which featured a statement announcing his imminent departure from the show.

That email, which suggested a show earlier this season would be his last – which has not been the case – also included comments from director general Tim Davie, who hailed an ‘incredible’ stint and described Lineker as a ‘world class presenter’.

A source told The Sun: ‘Gary absolutely adores Match of the Day, and has been incredibly happy at the BBC. But he has been at the helm since 1999, and by the time he leaves, he will have been at the Beeb for 30 years.

‘It’s one of the industry’s worst kept secrets that the new BBC Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski and Gary aren’t exactly close. The former is very keen to make his mark by bringing in new faces, and slashing wage bills.

‘Negotiations have been ongoing for the past six weeks and finally a deal has been struck that everyone is pleased with.

‘Gary will be 65 when he leaves; frankly, he isn’t getting younger. and just feels the time is right to focus solely on his mogul interests outside the BBC – namely his Goalhanger podcasting business, which is becoming huge Stateside. BBC execs, meanwhile, will be giving Match of the Day a reboot to keep it fresh in the wake of such a huge departure.’