Gary Lineker, the England soccer great-turned-media celebrity, will leave his role as a presenter for the BBC after facing criticism for reposting an Instagram story about Zionism that featured a picture of a rat.

Gary Lineker is reportedly set to leave the BBC early and not present the World Cup after his Zionism Instagram post was at the centre of an antisemitism backlash. The Match Of The Day star, 64, ‘unreservedly apologised’ last week after sharing a post containing antisemitic imagery.

After overthree decades with the BBC, Gary Lineker is set to leave this weekend, marking a significant turning point in his career and in the BBC's approach to social media and impartiality. The football presenter's abrupt exit follows a controversy over an allegedly 'anti-semitic' social media post that has reignited debates about the boundaries between personal expression and professional responsibility.