Major Controversies Surrounding Gary Lineker: A Detailed Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: February 25, 2025

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Gary Lineker.

Gary Lineker is a celebrated English sports broadcaster and former professional footballer. As a player, he excelled as a striker, uniquely achieving top goalscorer status in England with three different clubs: Leicester City, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur. He also played for Barcelona and represented England in 80 international matches. Since the late 1990s, he has been the face of BBC's 'Match of the Day,' becoming its longest-serving presenter. Additionally, Lineker serves as the BBC's primary presenter for live football events, including major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup. He has also contributed to various other sports networks, like Al Jazeera, Eredivisie Live, NBC Sports and BT Sport.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

2005: Defamation lawsuit by Harry Kewell

In 2005, Gary Lineker faced a defamation lawsuit from Australian footballer Harry Kewell over comments in Lineker's column regarding Kewell's transfer to Liverpool. The jury was unable to reach a verdict in the case.

May 2010: Resignation from The Mail on Sunday

In May 2010, Lineker resigned from his role as a columnist for The Mail on Sunday in protest over a sting operation against Lord Triesman, which jeopardized England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup. Following this, Lineker began working for Al Jazeera Sport.

October 2016: Criticism of refugee dental checks

On 18 October 2016, Gary Lineker tweeted a rebuttal to a statement by MP David Davies about refugee dental checks, leading to calls for his sacking from Match of the Day.

December 2016: Labeled "British Left's Loudest Voice"

In December 2016, Gary Lineker was described by Angus Harrison of Vice News as "the British Left's Loudest Voice" due to his liberal views on Twitter.

November 2017: Named in the Paradise Papers

In November 2017, Gary Lineker was named in the Paradise Papers in connection with a tax avoidance scheme relating to property owned in Barbados and a company set up in the British Virgin Islands.

July 2018: Support for People's Vote

In July 2018, Gary Lineker announced his support for People's Vote, a campaign group calling for a public vote on the final Brexit deal between the UK and the European Union.

December 2018: Criticism for political views on Twitter

In December 2018, Gary Lineker was criticised by Jonathan Agnew for expressing his political views on Twitter, leading to a debate about BBC impartiality.

October 2022: Complaint upheld by BBC

In October 2022, a complaint about Gary Lineker's tweet regarding donations to the Conservative Party was upheld by the BBC for breaching impartiality guidelines.

January 2023: Criticism for US comments

In January 2023, Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan criticised Gary Lineker for calling the United States an "extraordinarily racist country".

March 2023: Criticism of government asylum policy

In March 2023, Gary Lineker criticised the British government's asylum policy via Twitter, leading to widespread controversy and a "frank conversation" with the BBC. He compared the government's policy to language used by Germany in the 1930s.

March 2023: Stepping back from BBC presenting

In March 2023, Gary Lineker was asked to step back from presenting on the BBC for three days due to controversy over his criticism of the British government's immigration policy on Twitter.

March 2023: Tax Appeal Victory

On 28 March 2023, Gary Lineker won an appeal against HM Revenue and Customs over a £4.9 million tax bill. A judge ruled he was a freelancer and had contracts with the broadcasters.

November 2023: Tweet on Israel-Hamas War

In November 2023, Gary Lineker tweeted a link to an interview where Israel's actions in the Israel-Hamas war were described as a "textbook case of genocide", leading to interpretation of endorsement of those views.

December 2023: Criticism of Rwanda Asylum Plan

In December 2023, Lineker signed an open letter criticizing the government's proposal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, which resulted in accusations of violating impartiality and a complaint to the BBC.