Gazza Lineker's about to get even richer, the jammy git. His bank balance is set to skyrocket at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Last November, reports surfaced that the footy pundit was gonna sign a mega deal with Netflix for the streaming rights to his pod, The Rest Is Football. Now, with the deal about to be announced, Lineker's pockets are gonna be bulging.
Lineker's Big Payday
The Sun reckons Lineker's Netflix deal will dwarf his old £1.35 million a year contract with the BBC. As part of the agreement, his pod will go daily instead of the current three shows a week. His muppet co-hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will also have a big role at the World Cup.
This is a proper kick in the teeth for the BBC, who lost out on the rights to the show when Lineker left. The Rest Is Football used to be on BBC Sounds, but now it's everywhere, including Spotify and YouTube, with over 8 million mugs tuning in.
Why Lineker Left the BBC
Lineker was meant to host the BBC's World Cup coverage next year as part of his exit, but he ended up leaving early after some drama over an anti-semitism row. The bellend shared a pro-Gaza video that compared Israel supporters to rats, which didn't go down well.
After 25 years at the BBC, Lineker left without a payout. The BBC's big boss Tim Davie said: "Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made... we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season."
When's the 2026 World Cup?
Lineker, Shearer and Richards will have loads to bang on about in their pod once the World Cup kicks off on June 11 next year. The tournament's being played across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the final on July 19.
