Gary Lineker’s replacements on Match of the Day announced | OneFootball

Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will be the new Match of the Day presenters from next season, the BBC has announced.

It is the first time the role will be shared between three people, with former England striker Gary Lineker having presented the show since 1999.

The trio will split presenting duties for Match of the Day 2 on Sundays and MOTD: Champions League on Wednesdays, as well as Saturday’s flagship show.

The confirmation follows speculation about the presenting line-up of the BBC’s flagship football show following news last year that Lineker would step back from the role.

Logan said: “It’s always a real moment (sitting in the chair) because it has such history. It’s still so relevant to so many people now and talked about in a landscape where TV’s 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.”

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Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates are in the frame to replace Gary Lineker (BBC/PA Wire)

Cates, who was an outsider for the role, will be joining Chapman and Logan, while retaining her role with Sky Sports.

She 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.”

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When asked about the Match of the Day job in November, Cates was coy about the move and told The Independent: “Gary is still very much in the job and I know him. Chappers and Gabby, who are also being mentioned as frontrunners, are really good mates of mine.

“I’m certainly not going to put myself in the frame for a job that still has somebody in it and where the people being linked with it are my friends. And I love doing live football. I’m happy where I am.”

She has been a presenter with Sky Sports since rejoining them in 2016, fronting their coverage of the Premier League.

The 49-year-old daughter of former Scotland and Liverpool footballer Dalglish also hosts BBC Radio 5 Live’s Tuesday night sports coverage.

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Gary Lineker will continue to present the BBC’s live FA Cup coverage next season (Ian Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Former gymnast Logan, 51, became one of the first female sports anchors to break into terrestrial television and has covered several Olympic Games, the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games during her tenure at the BBC.

She has presented Match Of The Day in Lineker’s absence on many occasions, while she also fronted the BBC’s coverage as the Lionesses stormed to glory in the Women’s Euros in 2023.

Meanwhile, Chapman, 51, has been broadcasting for more than 25 years and presents BBC’s Match Of The Day 2 covering the action and reaction from the Premier League.

On sharing the role with Cates and Logan, 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.”

Logan and Chapman also host a Global Player podcast together, titled The Sports Agents.

Former England players Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will continue as regular MOTD pundits. Last season, 33 million viewers tuned in across all Match of the Day Premier League and FA Cup programmes.

BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski said: “I know viewers will love these three incredible broadcasters and journalists at the heart of our football coverage next season.

“They’re brilliant at what they do and MOTD viewers can be sure they will be well looked after as the big football talking points are expertly analysed.

“Gary has done a phenomenal job at Match of the Day for the last 25 years, he’ll be missed greatly and we all still get to enjoy him on our screens across some of football’s greatest tournaments.

“Outside of Match of the Day we’ve got some great new shows, voices and surprises lined up for the 2025-26 season across audio, video and digital and we look forward to sharing them with you all later in the year.