Gary Lineker is to appear as a pundit on ITV’s World Cup coverage this weekend in a huge blow to the BBC. Viewers will be able to watch Lineker on ITV’s live coverage from 8pm BST, with kick-off in Toronto scheduled for 9pm.

Gary Lineker is set to make a surprise ITV debut as a pundit for Germany vs Ivory Coast at the 2026 World Cup on Saturday, with coverage beginning at 8pm BST and kick-off at 9pm. The appearance comes despite Lineker spending much of the tournament with Netflix, where he has been hosting daily episodes of The Rest Is Football podcast alongside Micah Richards and Alan Shearer from New York. Lineker was not originally named in ITV’s World Cup pundit line-up, making the move an unexpected addition to the broadcaster’s coverage following his departure from the BBC earlier this year.

Viewers will be able to watch Lineker on ITV’s live coverage from 8pm BST, with kick-off in Toronto scheduled for 9pm.

Gary Lineker is set for a surprise return to mainstream World Cup broadcasting this weekend after agreeing to join ITV’s coverage of Germany’s Group E clash with Ivory Coast.

The Independent understands the former Match of the Day presenter will appear as a pundit for Saturday night’s fixture, marking his first appearance for ITV since ending his 26-year association with the BBC earlier this year.

The move comes despite widespread assumptions that Lineker’s broadcasting focus during the tournament would be centred on Netflix, which has become home to The Rest Is Football podcast. Produced by Lineker’s Goalhanger company, the show has been broadcasting daily from New York City throughout the World Cup, with Lineker joined by fellow pundits Micah Richards and Alan Shearer.

However, Lineker is not exclusively tied to the streaming platform and will cross over into traditional television coverage by joining ITV’s World Cup team for the high-profile fixture.

Gary will promote his Netflix podcast The Rest is Football and upcoming ITV gameshow The Box during the appearance.

The appearance represents a notable moment in Lineker’s post-BBC career. The former England captain had originally been expected to front the corporation’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup, having already presented six previous tournaments for the broadcaster.

Those plans were abandoned after the decision to end his BBC career was brought forward following controversy surrounding his social media activity. The broadcaster subsequently confirmed Lineker would leave after the conclusion of the 2024/25 Match of the Day season.

The former England striker “apologised unreservedly” for the post but confirmed he was to quit the BBC after the conclusion of the 2024/25 season’s Match Of The Day, ending plans for him to front coverage of both the FA Cup and the 2026 World Cup.

Lineker’s arrival also comes as something of a surprise given he was not included among ITV’s originally announced World Cup pundit roster. The broadcaster entered the tournament with familiar names including Roy Keane and Ian Wright, while also introducing newer voices such as Juan Mata and Ange Postecoglou.

Rather than taking on a presenting role, Lineker is expected to feature as part of the punditry team analysing Germany’s meeting with Ivory Coast.

His appearance adds another intriguing subplot to the ongoing ratings battle between ITV and the BBC during the tournament. ITV has enjoyed a strong start to the competition, airing four of the five most-watched matches so far, including England’s 4-2 victory over Croatia, which attracted a peak audience of 15.4 million viewers.

The broadcaster has also drawn attention for presenting its World Cup coverage from an expansive studio set in Brooklyn overlooking the Manhattan skyline, while the BBC has faced criticism for anchoring much of its tournament output from MediaCity in Salford.

For viewers wondering where to watch Lineker’s first ITV World Cup appearance, the answer is simple: tune into ITV’s coverage of Germany vs Ivory Coast from 8pm BST on Saturday.