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.
His departure is expected to be announced officially by the BBC on Tuesday.
The Sun, who first reported the story, also said the presenter would leave the BBC after leading coverage of the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Lineker’s representative has been approached for comment. The BBC press office declined to comment.
Lineker, whose contract was coming to an end, entered negotiations with the BBC’s new head of sport in October.
BBC News understands that Lineker was open to staying on at Match of the Day, but the BBC did not offer him a new contract for the show.
The 63-year-old has hosted Match of the Day since 1999. He will have held the post for 26 years when he leaves at the end of the Premier League season in May 2025.
Lineker told Esquire magazine in an interview published earlier this month that he accepted he will “have to slow down at some point”.
Earlier in the year, the presenter joked about speculation he could leave the BBC. He opened a Match of the Day broadcast by saying it was his “final show”. After a pause, he added “before the international break”.
