Gary Lineker will not be attending the BBC’s World Cup, but the former England star has signed an eye-catching deal with Netflix that will see The Rest Is Football provide analysis of the tournament.
Gary Lineker is relishing the “amazing opportunity” of teaming up with Netflix for the 2026 World Cup. The former England striker has signed a lucrative deal with the streaming service which will see his show ‘The Rest Is Football’ appear on screens from the tournament.
The show, produced by Lineker’s Goal Hunger production company, will be filmed daily during the tournament and shared on Netflix. It will be filmed in a New York studio and will feature match analysis, special guests and interviews.
Commenting on the announcement, The Rest Is Football co-host Gary Lineker said: “We can’t wait to bring The Rest Is Football to Netflix in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup. This is a huge milestone for the three of us. “It’s a great opportunity to talk about football every day, but on a truly global stage. Expect the usual analysis, honesty and lots of laughs…just a few more cameras pointed at us, all from the Big Apple.”
Fellow hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will also appear. The Rest Is Football was previously featured on the BBC, but the deal was terminated in May, leaving the door open to Netflix.
read more: When will the 2026 World Cup draw take place and how will it be done?read more: BBC pundit to ‘work from home’ for first 96 matches of 2026 World Cup
The show is consistently viewed on YouTube, with over 8 million views on the platform. The new deal with Netflix is reportedly worth millions of dollars.
Lineker, 65, left the BBC at the end of last season following social media posts about Zionism that included the rat emoji, which has historically been used as an anti-Semitic insult. The former forward apologized for the post and claimed he had not seen the emoji.
Meanwhile, the BBC confirmed plans for future tournaments. As in previous years, the World Cup will include TV and radio reporters and a joint rights package with ITV.
Who will win the World Cup? Share your predictions in the comments section below
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to start on June 11th and run until July 19th. The Rest Is Football co-host Alan Shearer has already highlighted that England are among the favorites for glory.
He told Betfair: “I think the team selection strategy, including Bellingham’s management, is working really well for Thomas Tuchel. The results when he releases players and brings players back have worked really well for him.”
“I think Tuchel is in a very healthy position in terms of his people and ability. He’s in a strong position because all the decisions he’s made so far have worked out well. Of course that has to continue and England have to win the World Cup.”
“I think Tuchel wants exactly the same thing that the team has done so far. He wants them to show great energy, he wants them to have a purpose, he wants them to win games and score goals. I think it’s a continuation of what we’ve seen in previous games and that’s what he wants.”
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