BBC announces new Match of the Day presenters to replace Gary Lineker

The BBC has announced that Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will host Match of the Day from next season, replacing Gary Lineker.

The presenting trio will split duties for Match of the Day, Match of the Day 2 and MOTD: Champions League.

Lineker will remain in place for the rest of the season, having presented the Saturday evening highlights show since 1999.

The former England striker will lead the BBC’s coverage of the FA Cup in 2025/26 and the men’s World Cup in 2026.

Gabby Logan, who also presents the BBC’s rugby and athletics coverage, said: “It’s always a real moment 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.”

On becoming one of the presenters Kelly Cates, who will also continue working for Sky Sports, said: “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.”

On sharing the role with Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan, Mark Chapman, said: “This isn’t about the three of us, it’s about the three of us plus our pundits, plus our editors, plus our analysts and stats people and production people, radio and online.

“Genuinely this is about all of us as a department working together. 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.”