BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski has dismissed Gary Lineker's mockery of the corporation's World Cup studio, revealing an impressive new facility in Salford just 48 hours before the tournament kicks off.
The former Match of the Day presenter had ridiculed the BBC's decision to base coverage in the UK rather than travelling to North America, boasting in April about spending the World Cup "overlooking Times Square" while his former colleagues remained "in Salford in a green box".
Opening the doors to Media City on Tuesday, Kay-Jelski offered a pointed rebuttal: "It's not a green box in Salford. It's a beautiful state-of-the-art studio. No one's seen it until now."
He added: "It's completely fine to assume that what was there before was what it was going to be. And I'm really proud of this."
Gary Lineker has secured a lucrative deal with Netflix following his departure from the BBC | GETTY The broadcaster has invested in a massive 360-degree panoramic screen that will transport viewers to whichever of the 16 host cities across the United States, Mexico and Canada a match is being shown from.
Rather than relying on cheap green screen technology, the LED backdrop displays dynamic photographs of locations such as Mexico City and New York, adjusting automatically for local time and weather conditions.
The corporation has even installed fans positioned near the screen to generate a gentle breeze, adding to the immersive atmosphere.
Augmented reality features allow CGI graphics to appear as though they are floating within the part-real, part-virtual environment.
The studio combines physical furniture with computer-generated backgrounds, creating what the BBC describes as a cutting-edge setup for presenters Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman.
Alex Kay-Jelski hit back at Gary Lineker's "green box"
| GETTYKay-Jelski mounted a robust defence of the decision to keep the main operation in the UK, arguing it has saved licence-fee payers a substantial sum ahead of significant budget reductions before the 2028 Royal Charter.
"To have what would probably be an extra couple of hundred people out there and that's before you build a studio you're talking millions," he explained.
The BBC Sport director challenged critics to consider whether relocating presenters would genuinely enhance the viewer experience.
"If I was standing here saying, 'Everything is going to be done from a studio in Dallas', you would rightly be saying to me, 'How can you justify that spend?'" he said.
He insisted: "The actual end product people are getting at home, I don't really think it's that different."
Gary Lineker was scheduled to cover the World Cup for the BBC before his departure over a social media post containing a rat emoji, imagery associated with anti-Semitic propaganda
| PALineker departed the BBC last year following controversy over a social media post containing a rat emoji, imagery associated with anti-Semitic propaganda. He had been earning £1.3 million annually and was expected to front the corporation's World Cup coverage.
The 65-year-old subsequently secured a £14 million contract with Netflix to broadcast his The Rest is Football podcast from a studio in New York during the tournament.
Despite the studio remaining in Britain, Kay-Jelski confirmed that pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy will be on the ground in North America alongside various commentators and journalists.
Gabby Logan is set to make history as the first woman to anchor a World Cup final on British television, with Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards joining her as pundits.