Former Match of the Day presenter and England icon Gary Lineker couldn't avoid shots during BBC's broadcast of the Three Lions' semi-final coverage vs Argentina19:55, 15 Jul 2026Updated 20:15, 15 Jul 2026BBC Sport lead presenter Mark Chapman couldn't resist a dig at predecessor Gary Lineker but urged viewers not to pile on during the coverage of England's World Cup semi-final against Argentina. Thomas Tuchel's side are looking to end the defending champions' hopes of retaining the trophy as they went in search of reaching their second World Cup final.‌Lineker had been due to lead the broadcasters' coverage in North America but left at the end of the last Premier League season due to growing pressure following his social media activity. Chapman, as well as Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates, have fronted the coverage during the prestigious tournament with the BBC hosting their coverage from Salford before moving to Atlanta for the semi-final.‌The 65-year-old and his former employers have had regular sparring matches throughout the competition, with Lineker Stateside as part of the Rest is Football's coverage after partnering up with Netflix to broadcast every day from New York City.‌With England in the semi-final, the former striker was mentioned during their broadcast when showing a graphic of Jude Bellingham's contributions, the former Three Lions skipper featured high on the list.It prompted pundit and former Manchester City defender Micah Richards to express his dislike for the statistic. He said: "One thing I don't like on that list, another graphic that's got Gary Lineker on there. He's just text me now, he's dropping down the table, thank god for that.Chapman jokingly quickly fired back: "Gary, Gary who?" Before correcting himself, saying: "Joke, joke, joke, before everyone piles on. Goodness me."‌Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!Bellingham has been a key figure for England and is one goal behind Three Lions captain Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot. His back-to-back braces against Mexico and Norway have been crucial for Tuchel's side in reaching the last-four.The graphic showed Bellingham's seven goals inside the penalty area and covering 9.4 metres in the process, with only Rudi Voller, Lineker, Gerd Muller and Miroslav Klose covering less distance for their return.‌After his unceremonious exit from the BBC, Lineker joined forces with terrestrial rival ITV where he fronted game show The Box, which is due to air in autumn 2026.The presenter-turned-podcast host featured as part of their World Cup coverage, where he hit the headlines for his jovial, short-lived hosting gig, which was promptly disrupted by Laura Woods. Lineker had began presenting the coverage, as he did for Match of the Day for 26 years, but Woods quickly put the 65-year-old in his place.Article continues belowLineker gate-crashed BBC's post-match reaction show after England's 2-1 win over Norway. The former Barcelona and Leicester City striker jumped in on Micah Richards' analysis, claiming that Djed Spence should have been awarded a penalty.The Tottenham Hotspur defender had won a spot-kick but Clement Turpin overturned the decision after being referred to the monitor. It was found that Spence had initiated the contact and the decision was scrapped.Content cannot be displayed without consent