Former BBC Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker has made a surprise appearance on ITV’s World Cup coverage, where he criticised ticket prices at the event.
Lineker appeared briefly as a presenter on coverage of Germany against Ivory Coast, where he thanked viewers for tuning in and said it was “another day, another game, another channel”, before being interrupted by the show’s actual presenter Laura Woods.
Woods added: “Gary, that’s my job.”
Lineker replied: “Sorry, sorry. Old habits.”
Asked about World Cup ticket prices, he said: “Well Fifa will argue that the stadiums are all full and they are, and the stadiums are amazing.
“But I think for fans having to take out a second mortgage or sell their car to be able to afford to watch a football match, to fill the pockets of what is supposedly a not-for-profit organisation, I just don’t understand what Fifa are doing and why they are making it so difficult.
“It’s incredible that so many fans have come here despite that.”
He also appeared to make a dig at his former employer, the BBC, which has drawn criticism for not having a studio in one of the host countries at the World Cup so far.
Lineker said: “I have been doing a show daily for Netflix, we’re Times Square but I did desperately want to come and see your set.
“I think it’s absolutely amazing and I can confirm that it is real. What a backdrop.”
Woods later allowed the former England striker to take the show into the break, and the veteran anchor praised the “fabulous job” of his colleague before focus turned to action on the pitch.
A Fifa spokesperson said the organisation is “committed to ensuring fair access” to the competition, adding it has offered a number of group stage tickets for 60 US dollars (£45), which it said is “an extremely competitive price for a once-in-a-lifetime major global sporting event”.
They reiterated Fifa is a not-for-profit organisation, and said 1,000 tickets for the final are also available for 60 dollars. Fifa said its “variable pricing” ticket approach “aligns with industry trends across various sports and entertainment sectors”.
Lineker will present ITV game show The Box later this year, having stepped down from his role at the BBC in May last year following criticism over him airing his political opinions on social media.
His departure came after a row following an Instagram post he made about Zionism, which featured a depiction of a rat, historically an antisemitic insult.
The sports broadcaster apologised for the post, adding that he did not see the rat visual and that he did not think “anyone actually believes I would’ve posted that”.
The former Barcelona player fronts The Rest Is Football podcast alongside former footballers Micah Richards and Alan Shearer – with the series airing as a daily TV show on Netflix for the 2026 World Cup to cover events in the US, Canada and Mexico, where the tournament is being held.
