BBC One is giving Gary Lineker a primetime sendoff this weekend as Match of the Day returns Sunday, May 25 at 10:30 PM GMT with a 100-minute highlights package covering the final day of the Premier League—and marking the end of Lineker’s 25-year run as the face of the show.
The episode—officially the 53rd of the 2025 season—caps a title race that’s already been settled but still leaves major questions on the table: chiefly, who grabs the remaining European places. All ten final-day fixtures will be covered, with a spotlight on Nottingham Forest’s late-season charge for the Champions League as they take on Chelsea in a high-stakes clash.
Lineker, who’s fronted the BBC’s flagship football program since 1999, signs off after more than two decades at the helm, the former England striker has butted heads with the BBC several times over the last couple of years over his social media activity and it seems to be a mutual decision that the time is right for him to move on to pastures new. No word yet from BBC Sport on succession plans, but expect speculation to heat up quickly.
The show’s signature format—top-flight highlights, tactical insight, and panel discussion—remains unchanged for the finale, with longtime analysts expected to join Lineker in studio as the outgoing host closes the book on an era.
