According to BBC News, broadcaster Gary Lineker will step down as presenter of flagship football show Match of the Day at the end of this season.
His departure is expected to be officially announced by the BBC on Tuesday.
The sun, who first reported the storyalso said the presenter would be leaving the BBC after leading coverage of the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Lineker's representative has been contacted for comment. The BBC press office declined to comment.
Lineker, whose contract was expiring, began negotiations with the BBC's new head of sport in October.
BBC News understands Lineker was willing to stay on 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 hold 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 has accepted that he “needs to slow down at some point.”
Earlier this year the presenter joked about speculation he could leave the BBC. He opened Match of the Day by saying it would be his “last show”. After a pause, he added “before the international break.”
P.ALineker is one of the company's best-known presenters and the highest-paid star of all people whose salaries are reported. He earns more than £1.3 million a year.
He has also covered major tournaments such as the World Cup and European Championships for the BBC, as well as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremonies.
Lineker has worked for other sports broadcasters during his time at the BBC, including US broadcaster NBC and BT Sport (now TNT Sport). He also specializes in podcasts and is co-founder of the production company Goalhanger, which produces popular shows such as The Rest is History, The Rest is Politics and The Rest is Entertainment.
Alastair Campbell, co-host of The Rest Is Politics podcast, said Lineker was “a very difficult act to prosecute,” Sky News reported.
“He’s an excellent presenter and a very good guy,” Campbell said.
Lineker's new contract has now been signed and he will leave the biggest tournament in world football on a winning note. But replacing a star host on a high-profile show is always a risk.
Some fans have suggested Match of the Day 2 presenter Mark Chapman should take on the role, but other football presenters including Gabby Logan and Alex Scott are also on fans' list as possible replacements.
Lineker has been embroiled in controversy at the BBC over his social media activities.
He was briefly suspended by his bosses last year after an outcry over a contribution to Britain's asylum policy.
The incident led to a review of the BBC's social media guidelines, which concluded that high-profile presenters should be given the opportunity to express their views on issues and policies, but should stay away from political campaigning.
At the time, Lineker described the new rules as “all very sensible”.
Before becoming a television presenter, Lineker had a highly successful career as a striker for England as well as Leicester, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona.
Additional reporting by Steven McIntosh, entertainment reporter
