Gary Lineker was anticipated to host the BBC’s 2026 World Cup protection earlier than his exit from the broadcaster, and has since mocked his former employers
Gary Lineker was with the BBC for 26 years (Picture: PA)
The BBC’s director of sport has appeared to have hit again at Gary Lineker, insisting their new “work-from-home” World Cup studio isn’t just a “inexperienced field in Salford”.
Again in April, former BBC presenter Lineker took a swipe on the company, mocking its choice to not set up a base in the USA. The 65-year-old remarked that his departure from the broadcaster had given him the liberty to cowl the World Cup from New York, including that he has no regrets about lacking out on fronting their protection of this summer season’s match.
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Then in mid-Might, BBC presenter Gabby Logan mounted a sturdy defence of the company’s selection to stay on residence soil till the ultimate week of the five-and-a-half-week match. She pointed to the “very costly value” of relocating the studio to the US for the opening levels of the competitors, insisting it will not “hurt our protection to not be there”.
Gary Lineker give up the BBC final 12 months (Picture: PA)
Now, on Tuesday – six weeks after Lineker’s remarks and simply two days earlier than the match kicks off – BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski threw open the doorways of the broadcaster’s nerve centre for this 12 months’s World Cup.
A green-screen backdrop was conspicuously absent, with the BBC having as a substitute invested in a cutting-edge studio that includes a sweeping panoramic display as its centrepiece. The spectacular setup is designed to create the phantasm that the studio overlooks whichever of the 16 World Cup host cities is staging the match being broadcast, together with the likes of Mexico Metropolis and New York.
Followers have even been positioned close to the display to generate a mild synthetic breeze. This kinds a part of an augmented actuality setup in a 360-degree part-real, part-virtual surroundings the place BBC presenters, together with Logan and Mark Chapman, and pundits will probably be based mostly till the ultimate week of this summer season’s World Cup.
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Lineker had been extensively anticipated to entrance the BBC’s match protection earlier than his exit was confirmed in 2025, following the sharing of a social media put up that includes a rat emoji — a picture traditionally related to anti-Semitic propaganda. The previous Tottenham and England striker subsequently signed a £14million take care of Netflix to host his The Relaxation is Soccer podcast from a studio in New York, which is because of launch this week.
On April 30, Lineker boasted about heading to the US for the World Cup and “overlooking Occasions Sq.”, whereas his former employers stay “in Salford in a inexperienced field”.
Nonetheless, Kay-Jelski hit again on Tuesday, saying: “It isn’t a inexperienced field in Salford.
“It is an exquisite state-of-the-art studio. Nobody’s seen it till now. It is fully positive to imagine that what was there earlier than was what it was going to be. And I am actually happy with this.”
“The precise finish product persons are getting at residence, I do not actually suppose it is that totally different,” Kay-Jelski added. “If these folks have been sitting some place else, would your viewing be massively modified?
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“If I used to be standing right here saying, ‘Every part goes to be carried out from a studio in Dallas’, you’ll rightly be saying to me, ‘How are you going to justify that spend?'”
The match will get below means on Thursday when host nation Mexico tackle South Korea within the opening fixture, whereas the BBC’s first match is anticipated to be Canada’s Group B conflict in opposition to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday.
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