Gary Lineker LIVE: Axed BBC star makes final statement on last Match of the Day show

hosted Match of the Day for the final time tonight. The former England captain was already set to leave the Premier League highlights show this week after nearly 26 years of fronting the programme. However, he will now depart the BBC for good - stepping down from next season's FA Cup and the 2026 World Cup - after sharing an offensive Instagram story.

Lineker shared a criticism of Zionism and Israel's aggression in Gaza, which featured a rat emoji. Rats were used in Nazi Germany to depict Jewish people and such references are widely considered to be antisemitic. The 64-year-old swiftly removed the post from his account and issued a grovelling apology.

The BBC has been at odds with its highest-paid star over the past few years. Lineker was stood down from an episode of Match of the Day in March 2023 after he compared the then-Conservative government's immigration policy to that of Nazi Germany. His outspoken views on politics have often split opinion.

Express Sport brings you the latest from Lineker's final Match of the Day episode, below...