Gary Lineker has criticized BBC Sport’s reaction to England’s 2-1 win over Norway in an awkward cameo. The former Three Lions captain barged into Micah Richards’ air time following Jude Bellingham’s winning double.
BBC Sport livestreamed the reaction to Thomas Tuchel’s side qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals after ITV retained the rights to broadcast the quarter-finals. Wayne Rooney, along with Ellen White, provided analysis of the extra-time victory, and Richards was watching from New York when Lineker barged in midway through the program and interrupted the coverage.
The panel was discussing England’s penalty, which was overturned by Clement Turpin, when Jed Spence was adjudged to have initiated contact with Oscar Bobb before falling to the ground. Richards reacted to the French referee’s decision to overturn an on-field decision when England international Lineker dived to shoot.
“It’s definitely a penalty,” Lineker said, looking stunned as the former Manchester City defender saw his piece hijacked. “Well, England. It’s nice to see you all.”
While Rooney took his parting shot, the 65-year-old made a quick exit and quipped: “Kit looks a bit comfortable over there, Gaz.” The conversation quickly returned to analyzing England’s fixture as the playful nature of the broadcast turned serious once again.
Lineker will leave the broadcaster at the end of the 2024-25 Premier League season and step down as Match of the Day presenter. He was expected to continue leading the FA Cup and World Cup press corps, but faced criticism after sharing posts about Zionism.
The former striker fronts Netflix’s Rest is Football show after the podcast went mainstream during this summer’s tournament. He even made a cameo appearance on ITV to promote his upcoming reality show, jokingly criticizing his former employer when he jokingly hosted it before being replaced by Laura Woods.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s an old habit,” he said. Lineker and Richards have collaborated on a podcast and are likely to react to England’s win on the show, which will be broadcast live from New York at 6am on Sunday morning.
