A fierce three-way battle has erupted at the BBC as Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates compete to become the lead presenter for the broadcaster's 2026 World Cup coverage.
The prestigious role has unexpectedly become available following Gary Lineker's early departure from the corporation.
The trio, who will rotate as Match of the Day presenters next season, are now jostling for position to anchor the major tournament games, with the competition reportedly becoming increasingly intense behind the scenes.
Lineker, 64, was set to leave Match of the Day at the end of this season but continue presenting the BBC's FA Cup and World Cup coverage.
Gary Lineker will leave his role at the BBC at the end of the week after his final Match of the Day show on Sunday
PA
However, the former England striker has now departed earlier than planned after sharing a social media post about Zionism that included a rat emoji.
"Unfortunately, I did not see the emoji," Lineker said.
"If I had, I would never, ever have shared it. The minute I was made aware, I quickly deleted the post and went on to make an apology."
The BBC had originally planned for Chapman, Logan and Cates to have supporting roles alongside Lineker at next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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Those plans have now been thrown into disarray, with the three presenters set to share Match of the Day duties from next season.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie acknowledged Lineker's contribution, saying: "Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades."
Lineker's 26-year BBC career will conclude this Sunday after the final round of Premier League matches.
Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan were announced as Gary Lineker's successors on MOTD
PAThe competition for the lead presenter role has reportedly become intense, with a source telling The Mirror it's "become an inside joke that it'll be like something out of Game of Thrones — with all of them vying to take the lead."
The source added: "Mark, Gabby and Kelly are friends but they will be positioning themselves in the coming months because, naturally, it's a competitive job and who wouldn't want to be the frontrunner?"
The key question remains who will anchor the biggest matches, particularly the World Cup final.
The decision facing BBC executives will not be straightforward, with all three presenters bringing considerable experience and talent to the table.
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Gary Lineker, who has been the BBC's highest-paid on-air talent for seven consecutive years, will leave the broadcaster this weekPA"They can do the MOTD job-share fine but when it comes to the prestige of holding up the coverage for those major events, it's inevitable someone's nose is going to be put out of joint," the source told The Mirror.
The competition highlights the significance of the World Cup presenting role, widely regarded as one of the most coveted positions in British sports broadcasting.
The tournament kicks off in North America next summer.
