Gary Lineker has opened up about life after the BBC, saying he is "not treading on so many eggshells" ahead of the World Cup this summer Casey Cooper-Fiske, PA and Matty Hewitt Senior Sport Central Audience Writer 07:47, 02 Jun 2026Updated 07:48, 02 Jun 2026Former England captain and television presenter Gary Lineker feels he is "not treading on so many eggshells these days" since his controversial departure from the BBC. The 65-year-old stepped down after 26 years as Match of the Day host in May 2025, following backlash over him expressing his political views on social media.‌His exit came after a controversial Instagram post he made about Zionism, which featured a depiction of a rat, historically an antisemitic insult. Lineker will bring The Rest Is Football, produced by his production company Goalhanger Podcasts, to Netflix for the 2026 World Cup for a daily TV show, alongside former footballers Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, covering events in the United States, Canada and Mexico.‌Discussing life beyond the BBC, Lineker told the Press Association: "I've got a bit more time, I'm not treading on quite so many eggshells these days, I'm allowed an opinion on things.‌JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page"But no, I had a wonderful period at the Beeb, and I've covered so many major tournaments, and obviously I was going to do this (the 2026 World Cup) originally, but now I'm doing something different, which is really exciting."While ITV is positioning its team in New York throughout the tournament, the BBC intends to keep most of its presenters and pundits in the UK until the final week.‌Lineker called out the BBC over their World Cup decision, adding: "I'm a bit surprised the Beeb are not going until possibly the very latter stages of the competition. I won't miss being in the green box itself, but I miss some of the company."But the fact we've got our own show now with loads of guests and stuff, that's been replaced completely. We're not in competition with the BBC in this, because obviously they're focused on live football. We haven't got the rights, but we've got a show that people can watch alongside."I think the BBC and ITV both, obviously, cover football brilliantly."‌Lineker went on to express his worries about the US co-hosting the tournament due to the actions of President Donald Trump, including his war with Iran, who are taking part in the competition.The former Barcelona striker, who never picked up a yellow card during his playing days, said there had always been controversies in the build-up to every World Cup he had worked on, including fears over LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar in 2022, and Russia staging it in 2018, four years after invading Crimea.‌Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!He said: "This time we've got a first, probably, I think. We've got the host nation at war with one of the competing countries. You've got an unpredictable leader."But from my experience, which is a lot, once we get there, once it starts, it's always all right, it's always great, the football takes over, and I'm very much hoping that that's the case, that we don't have to cover the negatives and what's gone on, and hopefully nothing goes wrong.Article continues below"But I am a little bit more nervous about this one, than others, for obvious reasons."