and will sign off after his final broadcast this coming Sunday. And in case you missed it, his MOTD replacements were already picked months ago. Lineker has spent 26 years as the face of the broadcaster's flagship football highlights programme.

And the BBC will not replace him with one individual. Instead, Kelly Cates, and will form a three-person presenting team for the 2025-26 Premier League season. Iconic presenter and former England striker Lineker will leave the Beeb altogether instead of presenting FA Cup or World Cup coverage in 2026.

Cates is the daughter of Liverpool icon Sir Kenny Dalglish and is swapping over from Sky Sports. She said back in January: "Once I sit in that chair and the theme music starts, I just know that's going to be a really incredible moment. I've worked with a lot of the pundits before and they're all fantastic, so I'm just looking forward to getting started.

"I've known Gabby and Mark really well for years so to bring it all together, embracing the digital side of things, it feels like a really comprehensive football package for fans and that's what makes it so exciting too."

While Chapman, a long-term BBC employee who has worked on MOTD2 for over 10 years, said: "I do feel honoured to be following in the footsteps of the people that we are following in and respectful of what they have done.

"I know the history of a lot of radio programmes and TV programmes and I do feel honoured to be following in the footsteps of the people that we are following in and respectful of what they have done."

Logan is another with long-term BBC ties having been the beating heart of the Beeb's rugby and athletics coverage, also covering multiple Olympic Games. She said: "It's always a real moment [sitting in the chair] because it has such history. It's still so relevant to so many people now and talked about in a landscape where TVs changed so much.

"There's an enormous responsibility to make sure we continue to evolve while at the same time respecting the traditions of Match of the Day. People want to see the goals, they want to see the incidents, they want to see the moments everyone's talking about, so while we can tinker at the edges, the core is the football."

The BBC have not yet confirmed who will replace Lineker for the 2026 World Cup, however. Lineker, when asked why he chose to leave Match of the Day, said in April: "Well, perhaps they want me to leave. There was the sense of that. I always wanted one more contract, and I was umm-ing and ahh-ing about whether to do three years [more].

"In the end, I think there was a feeling that, because it was a new rights period, it was a chance to change the programme. It's time. I've done it for a long time, it's been brilliant.

"I think it was their preference that I didn't do Match of the Day for one more year, so they could bring in new people. So it's slightly unusual that I would do the FA Cup and the World Cup, but to be honest, it's a scenario that suits me perfectly."

But Lineker will now step down altogether this month. BBC Director-General Tim Davie explained: "Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.

"Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond. We want to thank him for the contribution he has made."