Former England striker Gary Lineker has secured an exceptionally profitable agreement with Netflix to broadcast his popular football podcast during the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The 64-year-old television personality will present The Rest Is Football from the tournament, which takes place across the United States, Canada and Mexico beginning on 11 June.
Sources familiar with the arrangement described the financial terms as "extraordinarily lucrative" for the former footballer.
The streaming giant's move into live sports podcasting represents fresh territory for Netflix executives, who view the venture as an innovative development.
Gary Lineker is set to be part of the Netflix broadcasting team at the World Cup next year
| GETTYThis marks Lineker's return to World Cup broadcasting following his departure from the BBC earlier this year.
Lineker's exit from the Corporation came in May after he shared a social media post about Zionism that featured an illustration of a rat, which has historically been used as an antisemitic insult.
The veteran broadcaster had been scheduled to anchor the BBC's tournament coverage as his final assignment following 25 years with the organisation.
Those plans were cancelled when the controversial repost emerged, ending what would have been his concluding project after joining Match of the Day in 2000.
His departure marked the conclusion of a distinguished broadcasting career that saw him become the BBC's highest-paid presenter.
Gary Lineker was scheduled to work as BBC's lead anchor at the World Cup before he was sacked
| PAThe incident followed his 2023 suspension over remarks concerning Conservative government immigration policy.
The podcast, which Lineker discusses current football topics alongside former players Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, previously aired on BBC Sounds but departed with its host.
Currently available solely on YouTube without mainstream broadcaster affiliation, the programme will find its new home on the streaming platform.
Whether Shearer and Richards will join Lineker for the Netflix broadcasts remains uncertain, though both may attend the tournament as BBC pundits.
An insider revealed: "This will mean that Gary gets a huge payday, it is an extremely popular show but when he left the BBC he took it with him."
The source added: "This will mean that its profile will catapult again, as well as meaning that Gary will go to the World Cup after all, just in a very different capacity."
Upon announcing his BBC departure, Lineker stated: "I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic – it goes against everything I stand for."
He acknowledged: "However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action."
The Rest Is Football is owned by Goalhanger Podcasts, the production company Lineker co-founded in 2022.
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Beyond the Netflix arrangement, the presenter has secured a contract with ITV to host The Box, a Saturday evening quiz programme featuring celebrity contestants in mystery locations.
The podcast attracted over eight million YouTube viewers in July, though precise listener figures remain confidential.