Gary Lineker

Gary Winston Lineker was born on 30 November 1960 in Leicester, the son of Margaret P. (Abbs) and Barry Lineker.{{cite web |title=Gary Lineker |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersL/BioLinekerGW.html |work=englandfootballonline.com |date=15 April 2016 |access-date=26 June 2018}} He was given his middle name in honour of Winston Churchill, with whom he shares a birthday.{{cite news |last=Lovejoy |first=Joe |title=The big interview: Gary Lineker |url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/the-big-interview-gary-lineker-mhhxl325rzj |work=The Times |date=14 March 2004 |access-date=29 June 2018}} He has one brother, Wayne, who is two years his junior. Lineker grew up with his family in the city, playing football with Wayne.{{cite news |last=Ferguson |first=Euan |date=8 April 2007 |title=He's still the golden shot |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/apr/08/golf.broadcasting |access-date=15 December 2008}} Their father was a greengrocer, as were their grandfather William and great-grandfather George,{{cite web |title=Gary Lineker – Who Do You Think You Are? |url=https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2013/who-do-you-think-you-are/gary-lineker-6/ |publisher=TheGenealogist |access-date=26 June 2014}} in Leicester. Barry Lineker ran Lineker's fruit and veg stall in Leicester Market, and as a child and a young player Gary regularly helped out on the stall.{{cite web |title=Tributes pour in after Gary Lineker announces his father's death |url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/tributes-pour-after-gary-lineker-391946 |work=Leicester Mercury |date=29 August 2017 |access-date=16 September 2017}} Lineker, who is white, received racial abuse as a child for his dark features.{{cite news |last1=Okundaye |first1=Jason |title=Why Gary Lineker was right to speak out about receiving racist abuse |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/23/gary-lineker-receiving-racist-abuse-former-footballer-racism |access-date=23 June 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=23 June 2022}}

Lineker first attended Caldecote Road School{{cite web |title=Caldecote Primary |url=http://www.caldecote.leicester.sch.uk |publisher=Caldecote.leicester.sch.uk |access-date=19 January 2013}} (Caldecote Juniors), Braunstone in Leicester (east of the Meridian Centre). He then went to the City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School (now City of Leicester College) on Downing Drive in Evington, owing to his preference for football rather than rugby, which was the main sport of most schools near his home. Lineker was equally talented at both football and cricket. From the ages of 11 to 16 he captained the Leicestershire Schools cricket team, and had felt that he had a higher chance of succeeding at it rather than football.{{cite news |title=Passed/Failed: An education in the life of Gary Lineker |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/passedfailed-an-education-in-the-life-of-gary-lineker-match-of-the-day-presenter-and-former-footballer-1915343.html |work=The Independent |date=4 March 2010}} He later stated on They Think It's All Over that as a teenager he idolised former England captain David Gower, who was playing for Leicestershire at the time.{{cite episode |title=6-02 |episode-link=List of They Think It's All Over episodes#Series 6 |series=They Think It's All Over |series-link=They Think It's All Over (TV series) |season=6 |number=2 |network=BBC1 |date=19 November 1998}} During his youth he played for Aylestone Park Youth, later becoming the club's president.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/7934620.stm|title=Grass-roots football gets £11m|publisher=BBC News|date=10 March 2009}}

Lineker left school with four O Levels. One of his teachers wrote on his report card that he "concentrates too much on football" and that he would "never make a living at that". He then joined the youth academy at Leicester City in 1976.

Lineker began his career at his hometown club Leicester City after leaving school in 1977, turning professional in the 1978–79 season and making his senior debut on New Year's Day 1979 in a 2–0 win at Filbert Street over Oldham Athletic in the Second Division. He earned a Second Division title medal a year later with 19 appearances, but played just nine league games in 1980–81 as Leicester went straight back down.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Lineker became a regular player in 1981–82, scoring 19 goals in all competitions that season. Although Leicester missed out on promotion, they reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and clinched promotion a year later as Lineker scored 26 times in the Second Division. In 1983–84, he enjoyed regular First Division action for the first time and was the division's second-highest scorer with 22 goals, although Leicester finished in 15th place. He was the First Division's joint top scorer in 1984–85 with 24 goals, and was enjoying a prolific partnership with Alan Smith. By this stage he was attracting the attention of bigger clubs, and a move from Filbert Street was looking certain.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

In the 1985 close season, defending league champions Everton signed Lineker for £800,000; he scored 40 goals in 57 games for his new team in the 1985–86 season. Lineker's first game for Everton happened to be away to Leicester City; at half time, he walked into the Leicester dressing room by mistake.{{cite news |title=Match of Their Day: Phil Neville picks his classic games |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/52561522 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=10 May 2020 |access-date=12 May 2020 |language=en-GB}} He was again the First Division's leading goalscorer, this time with 30 goals (including three hat-tricks), and helped Everton finish second in the league. While at Everton, they reached the FA Cup final for the third consecutive year but lost 3–1 to Liverpool, despite Lineker giving them an early lead when he outpaced Alan Hansen to score. Liverpool had also pipped Everton to the title by just two points. "I was only on Merseyside a short time, nine or 10 months in total really, but it was still a happy time personally, while professionally it was one of the most successful periods of my career", he says. "I still have an affinity towards Everton."{{cite web |title=Gary Lineker: Everton were the best team I ever played for |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gary-lineker-everton-were-best-3464406 |website=Liverpool Echo |access-date=17 April 2023 |date=11 December 2008}}

Lineker scored three hat-tricks for Everton; at home to Birmingham City in a 4–1 league win on 31 August 1985, at home to Manchester City in a 4–0 win on 11 February 1986, and then in the penultimate league game of the season on 3 May 1986, when they kept their title hopes alive with a 6–1 home win over Southampton. On his final league appearance, he scored twice in a 3–1 home win over West Ham United whose own title hopes had just disappeared. Lineker and his colleagues were denied title glory as Liverpool also won their final league game of the season at Chelsea.{{cite web|url=http://www.evertonresults.com/198586.htm|title=Everton Results|website=www.evertonresults.com}} Lineker has said since retiring from football that this Everton team was the best club side he ever played in.

After winning the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico there were many courters for Lineker across Europe. Barcelona at the time were managed by fellow Englishman Terry Venables, who had arrived in 1984, and who had already brought in Scottish striker Steve Archibald to great effect, and was to also bring in Manchester United and Wales striker Mark Hughes.{{Cite web|url=https://thesefootballtimes.co/2016/01/12/nunez-maradona-and-venables-the-barcelona-years/|title=Nunez, Maradona and Venables: the Barcelona years|date=12 January 2016}} Lineker was signed by Barcelona for £2.8 million.{{Cite web|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gary-lineker-everton-inside-story-17986564|title=Gary Lineker, Everton and the inside story of his £2.8m move|first=David|last=Prentice|date=26 March 2020|work=Liverpool Echo}} Barcelona would give Lineker his first chance of European football, as Leicester had never qualified for Europe while he played for them, and Everton were denied a place in the European Cup for 1985–86 due to the ban on English clubs in European competitions following the Heysel disaster.{{Cite web |title=English football clubs banned from Europe {{!}} June 2, 1985 |url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/english-football-clubs-banned-from-europe |access-date=2024-06-02 |website=HISTORY|date=16 November 2009 }}{{Cite news |last=Ap |date=1985-06-03 |title=ENGLISH SOCCER CLUBS ARE BANNED FROM EUROPEAN PLAY INDEFINITELY |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/03/world/english-soccer-clubs-are-banned-from-european-play-indefinitely.html |access-date=2024-06-02 |work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |date=2024-02-25 |title=European Football Union Bans English Soccer Teams |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1985/06/03/european-football-union-bans-english-soccer-teams/04959dae-2e33-4962-984c-e197b98d9601/ |access-date=2024-06-02 |newspaper=Washington Post|issn=0190-8286}}

Barcelona had won the '84-85 La Liga title in Venables first season at the club, and the 1986 Copa de la Liga the following season but had lost 2 other finals, so there was great anticipation of success at the Camp Nou for Lineker. He made his Barcelona debut against Racing Santander, scoring twice.{{cite book|author=Giles Tremlett|title=Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through a Country's Hidden Past|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nt5pkqkSsiEC&pg=PT228|date=2 October 2008|publisher=Faber & Faber|isbn=978-0-571-24790-5|pages=228–}} Barcelona led the league for much of the '86-87 season, until a pair of losses against Real Zaragoza and Sporting Gijon gave advantage to Real Madrid. Two further losses to the same team cemented Barcelona's second place finish. Lineker ultimately had scored 20 goals in 40 league games during his first season, including a hat-trick in a 3–2 win over archrivals Real Madrid to make him somewhat of a cult hero.{{cite web|url=http://www.talkfootball.co.uk/guides/football_legends_gary_lineker.html|title=Gary Lineker|access-date=9 March 2008|publisher=Talk Football}} However the club had crashed out of the Copa del Rey at the first hurdle, and suffered a shock defeat to Dundee United in the '87 UEFA Cup where Lineker hadn't scored any goals in 8 appearances.

For the '87-88 season hopes were still high for the club, but following three back to back losses at the start of the season Terry Venables was fired and Luis Aragonés brought in to replace him as manager. Linekers form remained strong, and he helped the club recover some form and scored a double against Real Madrid in a 4-1 win in the December, but he finished the season with only 16 goals in 35 league games as the club finished 6th, however he had contributed a little more to the cup efforts as the club won the 1988 Copa del Rey, but failed again at the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Cup.

In the summer, the club endured a tumultuous off season that culminated in the "Hesperia Mutiny" that saw a large number of players and coaches fired after protesting pay and conditions at the club.{{cite web | last=Contributors | first=Guest | title=The 1988 Motín del Hesperia: can Barcelona now learn from it? | website=Barca Universal | date=2020-09-02 | url=https://barcauniversal.com/the-1988-motin-del-hesperia-can-barcelona-now-learn-from-it/ | access-date=2025-04-04}} In the aftermath Barcelona moved to sign former player for the club during their last most successful era, and current Ajax manager Johan Cruyff. The club set about rebuilding its team, retaining only a skeleton of the squad that had finished '87-88 in 6th place - including Lineker. The impact of Cruyff was immediate. Barcelona became a much more attacking side, and finished the season '88-89 season in a much improved 2nd place. However Lineker lost his favoured position at centre forward to new signing Julio Salinas, and saw himself pushed out wide right for most of the season resulting in both the lowest goal output (6) and appearances (26) in the league of Lineker's career as a starter. The club won 1989 European Cup Winners' Cup final where Lineker fared better than previous seasons, scoring four times in 8 outings.

As the season came to an end, Barcelona was seeking to raise much needed funds for Cruyff and to free up the "foreigner" spot in the squad to continue his rebuilding project at the club, while Lineker was desperate to find first team opportunities in his favoured position.{{cite news | last=Lowe | first=Sid | title=Gary Lineker: Barcelona spell is when it dawned on me that I was good at this | newspaper=The Irish Times | date=2021-10-23 | url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/gary-lineker-barcelona-spell-is-when-it-dawned-on-me-that-i-was-good-at-this-1.4709165 | access-date=2025-04-04}}

With 42 goals in 103 La Liga appearances, Lineker had become the highest scoring British player in the competition's history, this was later surpassed by Gareth Bale in March 2016.{{Cite web|last=Southcombe|first=Matthew|date=20 March 2016|title=Gareth Bale breaks La Liga goalscoring record|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gareth-bale-becomes-top-british-11070005|access-date=1 February 2021|website=WalesOnline|language=en}}

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson attempted to sign Lineker to partner his ex-Barcelona teammate Mark Hughes in attack,{{cite web|url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/gary-lineker-i-almost-joined-manchester-united-then-spurs-pulled-it|title=Gary Lineker: I almost joined Manchester United – but then Spurs pulled it off|publisher=FourFourTwo|access-date=30 November 2020|date=20 November 2015}} but Lineker instead signed for Tottenham Hotspur in July 1989 for £1.1 million. Over three seasons, he scored 67 goals in 105 league games and won the FA Cup while playing for the club. He finished as top scorer in the First Division in the 1989–90 season, scoring 24 goals as Spurs finished third.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Lineker finally collected an English trophy when he won the 1991 FA Cup final with Spurs, who beat Nottingham Forest 2–1. This was despite Lineker having a goal controversially disallowed for offside and also having a penalty saved by goalkeeper Mark Crossley.{{cite web|url=http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/archive/E-ON-Great-Saves-1991-FA-Cup-final-special-Totttenham-2-1-Nottingham-Forest-unseen-pictures-of-Mark-Crossley-Gary-Lineker-Brian-Clough-and-co-plus-original-Daily-Mirror-match-reports-and-features-from-our-archive-article321299.html|title=E.ON Great Saves No.6: Mark Crossley|publisher=Mirror Football|access-date=1 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307134941/http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/archive/E-ON-Great-Saves-1991-FA-Cup-final-special-Totttenham-2-1-Nottingham-Forest-unseen-pictures-of-Mark-Crossley-Gary-Lineker-Brian-Clough-and-co-plus-original-Daily-Mirror-match-reports-and-features-from-our-archive-article321299.html|archive-date=7 March 2012|url-status=dead}} Lineker had contributed to Tottenham's run to the final. In the semi-final he scored twice in a 3–1 win over North London rivals Arsenal.{{cite web|url=http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/821636-tottenham-v-arsenal-top-five-north-london-derbies |title=Tottenham v Arsenal: Top five North London derbies |work=Metro|date=14 April 2010 |access-date=29 May 2011}}

Lineker was the top division's second-highest goalscorer in 1991–92 with 28 goals from 35 games, behind Ian Wright, who scored 29 times in 42 games. Despite Lineker's personal performance, Tottenham finished this final pre-Premier League season in 15th place. His last goal in English football came on the last day of the season in a 3–1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

In November 1991, Lineker accepted an offer of a two-year contract from J1 League club Nagoya Grampus Eight. The transfer fee paid to Tottenham Hotspur was £2 million. He officially joined Nagoya Grampus Eight after playing his final game for Spurs on 2 May 1992, when he scored the consolation goal in a 3–1 defeat by Manchester United on the last day of the season.{{cite web |url=http://www.newsint-archive.co.uk/pages/S.asp?pubsel=BOTH&SrchText=Lineker&edn=&DateFromDD=01&DateFromMM=Sep&DateFromYY=1991&page=&SortOrder=Asc&SortOrder=asc&SortOrder=asc&SortOrder=asc&SortSpec=&DateToDD=30&DateToMM=Nov&ResultListMax=200&Submit1=Search&source=thetimes&DateToYY=1991&byline=&head=&Collection=NI%C2%A7%3D&Caption=&SortField=SDate&SortField=Pub&SortField=EDN&SortField=Page&ST=NS&Site=ALL&ResultCount=20&BackDD=Day&summreqd=yes&QueryText=%28Lineker%29+%3CAND%3E+%28PUB%3DBOTH%29+%3CAND%3E+%28%28SDate%3E%3D9%2F1%2F1991%29+%3CAND%3E+%28SDate%3C%3D11%2F30%2F1991%29%29&BackMM=Month&indexkey=3D12283075330327469E230&advsrch=0&BackYY=Year&_P=5&ResultMaxDocs=200& |title=The Times and The Sunday Times Archive |publisher=Newsint-archive.co.uk |access-date=29 May 2011 }}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Shortly before accepting the offer from Nagoya Grampus Eight, Tottenham had rejected an offer from ambitious Second Division club Blackburn Rovers, who had recently been taken over by steel baron Jack Walker.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1353251/Jack-Walker.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1353251/Jack-Walker.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Jack Walker |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=19 August 2000 |access-date=29 May 2011}}{{cbignore}}

Having scored nine goals in 23 appearances over two injury-impacted{{cite web|url=http://www.scmp.com/article/50591/lineker-broken-right-toe|title=Lineker: broken right toe|date=5 November 1993 }} seasons for Nagoya Grampus Eight, he announced his retirement from playing in September 1994. The English national media had previously reported that he would be returning to England to complete his playing career at Middlesbrough or Southampton.{{cite news|last1=Shaw|first1=Phil|title=Football: Lineker, the predator with mass appeal: By retiring now, the striker with the wholesome image has again shown perfect timing. Phil Shaw reports|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-lineker-the-predator-with-mass-appeal-by-retiring-now-the-striker-with-the-wholesome-image-1450427.html|access-date=6 July 2016|work=The Independent|date=22 September 1994}}

Lineker was capped once by the England B national team, playing in a 2–0 home win over New Zealand's B team on 13 November 1984.{{cite web|last=Courtney |first=Barrie |title=England – International Results B-Team – Details |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/eng-b-intres-det.html |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |date=21 March 2004 |access-date=9 June 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032317/http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/eng-b-intres-det.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 }} He first played for the full England team against Scotland in 1984. He played five games in the 1986 World Cup and was top scorer of the tournament with six goals, winning the Golden Boot, making him the first English player to have done so. He scored the second quickest hat-trick ever at a FIFA World Cup tournament against Poland, the second English player to score a hat-trick at a World Cup, and scored two goals against Paraguay in the second round. He played most of the tournament wearing a lightweight cast on his forearm. He scored for England in the World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, but the game ended in defeat as Diego Maradona scored twice for the opposition (the first goal being the "Hand of God" handball, and the second being the "Goal of the Century"). In 1988, Lineker played in Euro 88, but failed to score as England lost all three Group games. It was later established that he had been suffering from hepatitis.C. Malam, p. 100.The first was against Spain 18 February 1987 and the second time against Malaysia 12 June 1991.

In the 1990 World Cup, he scored four goals to help England reach the semi-finals. He was unwell during the tournament, and accidentally defecated in his shorts during the opening group game against the Republic of Ireland.{{cite news|title=Lineker Admits to Shitting Himself (Literally) Against Ireland at Italia '90|url=http://www.joe.ie/uncategorized/lineker-admits-to-shitting-himself-literally-against-ireland-at-italia-90/12833|access-date=20 April 2015|work=Joe}} After Andreas Brehme sent England 1–0 down in the semi-final, Lineker received a pass from Paul Parker and escaped two West German defenders on his way to scoring the equaliser, but the West Germans triumphed in the penalty shoot-out and went on to win the trophy. Later he said: "Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win."{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/do-you-remember/newsid=1010260/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130331094309/http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/do-you-remember/newsid=1010260/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 March 2013 |title=Classic Players – Lineker, still at the top – FIFA |publisher=FIFA |access-date=25 November 2014}} Lineker's equaliser appears in the popular England national team anthem, "Three Lions", with the lyric "When Lineker scored".{{cite news |title=It's Coming Home: England fans sing wrong lyric to Three Lions ahead of World Cup quarter-finals |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/three-lions-its-coming-home-england-fans-lyrics-wrong-world-cup-a8432656.html |access-date=14 August 2019 |work=Independent}}

He retired from international football with eighty caps and 48 goals, one fewer goal than Sir Bobby Charlton's England record (which Charlton accrued over 106 caps). In what proved to be his last England match, against Sweden at Euro 92, he was substituted by England coach Graham Taylor in favour of Arsenal striker Alan Smith, ultimately denying him the chance to equal — or even better — Charlton's record.{{cite web |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/Seas1990-00/1991-92/M0688Swe1992.html |title=Sweden 2 England 1 Match Summary and Report |date=17 June 1992|work=England Football Online|access-date=19 May 2010|publisher=EnglandInteractive}} He had earlier missed a penalty that would have brought him level, in a pre-tournament friendly against Brazil.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2009/nov/12/england-brazil-previous-meetings?picture=355511205|title=Past encounters between England and Brazil |date=12 November 2009 |work=The Guardian |access-date=19 May 2010}} He was visibly upset at the decision, not looking at Taylor as he took the bench.

He scored four goals in an England match on two occasions and is one of very few players never to have been given a yellow card or a red card in any type of game.Malam, pp. 140, 141.

Following retirement from professional football, Lineker developed a career in the media, initially on the BBC for Radio 5 Live and as a football pundit. He appeared as a team captain on the sports game show They Think It's All Over from 1995 to 2003. He also presented Grandstand in the London studio while presenter Des Lynam was in Aintree when the Grand National was abandoned because of a bomb alert at the racecourse in 1997.{{Cite web |date=2024-11-11 |title=Gary Lineker: How he went from football sensation to BBC star |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp39xlwexyxo |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}} In 1999, he replaced Lynam as the BBC's anchorman for football coverage, including its flagship football television programme Match of the Day, becoming BBC Sport's highest paid presenter.{{cite web | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/414635.stm | title= Lineker 'steps into Des's shoes' | work=BBC News | date=8 August 1999 | access-date=15 March 2023}} Following the departure of Steve Rider from the BBC in 2005, Lineker, who is a keen recreational golfer with a handicap of four, became the new presenter for the corporation's golf coverage. Despite receiving some criticism from his peers, he continued to front the BBC's coverage of the Masters and The Open.{{cite web |author=Simon Parke |title=A sporting chance for unity |url=http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=42724 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227073407/http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=42724 |archive-date=27 December 2008 |access-date=3 August 2009 |work=Church Times}}

In 2005, Lineker was sued for defamation by Australian footballer Harry Kewell over comments Lineker had made writing in his column in The Sunday Telegraph about Kewell's transfer from Leeds United to Liverpool. However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict. It became known during the case that the article had actually been ghost-written by a journalist at The Sunday Telegraph following a telephone interview with Lineker.{{cite news |last=Booth |first=Robert |date=4 July 2006 |title=Lineker and Kewell settle libel case out of court |work=The Guardian |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1520864,00.html |access-date=13 November 2006}}

In May 2010, Lineker resigned from his role as columnist for The Mail on Sunday in protest over the sting operation against Lord Triesman that reportedly jeopardised England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup. Triesman resigned as chairman of the bid and the FA on 16 May 2010 after the publication of a secret recording of a conversation between the peer and a former ministerial aide, during which he claimed that Spain and Russia were planning to bribe referees at the World Cup in South Africa.{{cite news |last=Ducker |first=James |date=19 May 2010 |title=Gary Lineker kicks column into touch in protest over Lord Triesman sting |work=The Times |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article7129899.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510010128/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article7129899.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 May 2011 |access-date=19 May 2010}} Lineker then began working as an anchor for the English language football coverage for Al Jazeera Sport, which is broadcast throughout most of the Middle East. He left the Qatar-based network in 2012.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

Lineker was the lead presenter of the BBC's coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games, presenting the evening action each day.{{Cite web |title=BBC London 2012 presenter line-up |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/021211-bbc-2012-presenter-line-up |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}} This was a role he also took for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.{{Cite web |title=Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/cwg |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}

In 2013, Lineker began working for NBCSN as part of their Premier League coverage and contributing to the US version of Match of the Day.{{cite news |last=Parker |first=Graham |date=16 April 2013 |title=Lineker and Match of the Day feature in NBC's Premier League plans |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/apr/16/nbc-premier-league-match-of-the-day}} On 9 June 2015, Lineker was unveiled as the lead presenter of BT Sport's Champions League coverage. On 13 August 2016, Lineker presented the first Match of the Day of the 2016–17 season wearing only boxer shorts.{{cite news |date=13 August 2016 |title=Gary Lineker pants: Match of the Day presenter keeps Twitter promise |publisher=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37074641 |access-date=26 July 2018}} Believing it would simply not happen, he had promised in a tweet from December 2015{{cite web |title=Gary Lineker on Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/garylineker/status/676520648097865728?lang=en}} that if Leicester City won the Premier League, he would "present Match of the Day in just my undies".

As of July 2022, Lineker is the highest-paid BBC presenter and has been for several years; receiving payments of £1.75–1.76 million each year between 2016 and 2020,{{cite news |date=11 July 2018 |title=BBC pay: The 2017-18 list of star salaries in full |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-44792074 |access-date=2 November 2020}}{{cite news |date=15 September 2020 |title=BBC star salaries: Gary Lineker takes pay cut as Zoe Ball shoots up list |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54119758 |access-date=2 November 2020}} and approximately £1.35 million in 2020–21.{{Cite web |date=12 July 2022 |title=Gary Lineker becomes only on-air BBC talent to earn more than £1m |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/gary-lineker-tim-davie-lauren-laverne-radio-nadine-dorries-b2121192.html |access-date=15 March 2023 |website=The Independent |language=en}} His pay has been criticised by Julian Knight, chair of the parliamentary Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee,{{cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=15 September 2020 |title=BBC Talent Salaries Draw Criticism, But New Boss Tim Davie Holds His Ground |url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/global/bbc-graham-norton-millions-gary-lineker-1234770277/ |access-date=2 November 2020 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} and Dame Esther Rantzen.{{cite web |last=Fenwick |first=George |date=16 September 2020 |title=Dame Esther Rantzen calls for all BBC salaries to be cut to £150,000 |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/dame-esther-ranzen-gary-lineker-bbc-salaries-a4549021.html |access-date=2 November 2020 |website=www.standard.co.uk}} The BBC's Director General, Tim Davie, stated that Lineker's pay was justified "because of the value of analysis to the viewing audience".{{cite news |title=BBC boss defends Gary Lineker and Zoe Ball's £1.3 million salaries |language=en-GB |work=belfasttelegraph |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/bbc-boss-defends-gary-lineker-and-zoe-balls-13-million-salaries-39572713.html |access-date=2 November 2020 |issn=0307-1235}}

In March 2023, Lineker was required to step back from presenting on the BBC for three days due to a controversy over his criticism of the British government's immigration policy on Twitter.{{Cite web |title=Gary Lineker stepping back from role as Match of the Day presenter |url=https://news.sky.com/story/gary-lineker-stepping-back-from-role-as-match-of-the-day-presenter-12830108 |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=Sky News |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=Gary Lineker: Wright and Shearer pull out of MOTD |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/entertainment-arts-64895316 |access-date=10 March 2023 |language=en-gb}}{{Cite news |title=BBC seeks to end crisis by reinstating presenter Lineker |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/bbc-says-gary-lineker-return-presenting-2023-03-13/ |access-date=13 March 2023 |website=Reuters |date=13 March 2023 |language=en|last1=Young |first1=Sarah |last2=Holton |first2=Kate }}{{cite news |date=13 March 2023 |title=Gary Lineker will abide by BBC guidelines until review completed - Tim Davie |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-64937656 |access-date=13 March 2023}}

On 11 November 2024, Lineker who was hosting Match of the Day since 1999, announced that he would be stepping down from presenting the programme following the conclusion of the 2024–25 Premier League season in May 2025.{{cite web|title =Gary Lineker to leave BBC's Match of the day|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdd456rzg75o|access-date=11 November 2024|work=BBC Sport}} He will also leave the BBC after covering the 2026 FIFA World Cup which will take place in Canada, the United States and Mexico and the 2025–26 FA Cup.{{Cite news |last=Razzall |first=Katie |date=2024 |title=Gary Lineker to leave BBC's Match of the Day |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdd456rzg75o}}

Lineker has appeared in television commercials for the Leicester-based snack company Walkers. Originally signing a £200,000 deal in 1994, his first advert was 1995's "Welcome Home" (Lineker had recently returned to England having played in Japan).{{cite web |last1=Lafferty |first1=Catherine |last2=Charles |first2=Gemma |title=Why Walkers and Lineker have a marriage made to last, plus 5 of Gary's funniest ads |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/why-walkers-lineker-marriage-made-last-plus-5-garys-funniest-ads/1385016 |work=Campaign |date=25 February 2016 |access-date=29 June 2018}} Walkers temporarily named their salt and vinegar crisps after Lineker, labelling them 'Salt & Lineker', in the late 1990s.{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Sarah |title=Appointment to view: Lineker's highlights with Walkers |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/appointment-view-linekers-highlights-walkers/1084911 |work=Campaign |date=16 August 2011 |access-date=29 June 2018}} In 2000, Lineker's Walkers commercials were ranked ninth in Channel 4's poll of "The 100 Greatest TV Ads".{{cite web |title=The 100 Greatest TV Ads |url=http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/greatest_ads/ |url-status=dead |publisher=Channel 4 |location=London |year=2000 |access-date=4 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010618095141/http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/greatest_ads/ |archive-date=18 June 2001}}

Lineker participated in Prince Edward's charity television special The Grand Knockout Tournament in 1987. He also appeared in the 1991 play An Evening with Gary Lineker by Arthur Smith and Chris England, which was adapted for television in 1994. He presented a six-part TV series for the BBC in 1998 (directed by Lloyd Stanton) called Golden Boots,{{cite web |date=13 April 1998 |title=Golden Boots |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0149464/ |access-date=14 October 2012 |publisher=IMDb}} with other football celebrities. It was an extensive history of the World Cup focusing on the 'Golden Boots' (top scorers).{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

In 2006, Lineker took on an acting role as the voice of Underground Ernie on the BBC's children's channel, CBeebies.{{cite news |date=10 October 2005 |title=Tube trains get lines in series |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4326588.stm |access-date=3 June 2015}} In December 2008, Lineker appeared on the ITV1 television programme Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? where he and English rugby union player Austin Healey won £50,000 for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation. In 2009, Lineker and his wife Danielle hosted a series of the BBC's Northern Exposure, following on from Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen from the previous year in visiting and showcasing locations throughout Northern Ireland.[http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/Gary-and-Danielles-Northern-Exposure-A2506 Gary and Danielle's Northern Exposure] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827095812/http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/Gary-and-Danielles-Northern-Exposure-A2506|date=27 August 2009}} at DiscoverNorthernIreland.com

Lineker has made a number of cameo appearances in TV shows and movies, such as the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, the 2014 BBC TV film Marvellous,{{Cite web |title=BBC Two - Marvellous |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04jmx7l |access-date=12 March 2023 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}} and a number of appearances in the Apple TV+ football comedy TV series Ted Lasso.{{cite web |last=Levy |first=Matt |date=21 September 2021 |title=Who Ted Lasso's Footballers Lineker & Henry Are & Why Beard Sees Them |url=https://screenrant.com/ted-lasso-thierry-henry-gary-lineker-who-coach-beard-see-why/ |access-date=21 October 2021 |website=Screen Rant}} In 2013, Lineker participated in the genealogical programme Who Do You Think You Are? during which he discovered an ancestor who was a poacher, and another who was a legal clerk.{{cite web |date=22 August 2013 |title=Who Do You Think You Are?, Series 10, Gary Lineker |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039292p |access-date=26 June 2014 |publisher=BBC One}} In 2021, Lineker started hosting the ITV game show Sitting on a Fortune.{{cite news |title=Gary Lineker to host new ITV gameshow, Sitting on a Fortune|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57927271 |access-date=29 March 2022 |publisher=BBC News |date=22 July 2021}}

In May 2014, Lineker established his own production company Goalhanger Films Ltd. with former ITV Controller Tony Pastor.{{cite magazine |title=Gary Lineker launches sport doc indie Goal Hanger |url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/people/gary-lineker-launches-sport-doc-indie-goal-hanger/5076420.article |magazine=Broadcastnow |date=21 August 2014 |access-date=26 May 2015}} During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Lineker presented several short videos produced by Goalhanger Films on YouTube with the title Blahzil. In May 2015, the company produced a 60-minute-long documentary presented by Lineker titled Gary Lineker on the Road to FA Cup Glory for the BBC.{{cite web |title=The FA Cup – 2014/15: Gary Lineker on the Road to FA Cup Glory |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05x2x71/the-fa-cup-201415-gary-lineker-on-the-road-to-fa-cup-glory |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=26 May 2015}}

He also operates Goalhanger Podcasts, which produces Leading, The Rest is History, The Rest is Politics and his own podcast, The Rest is Football, which he hosts with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.{{cite web |last1=Gapper |first1=John |title=Gary Lineker and his Goalhanger teammates on their podcast empire |url=https://www.ft.com/content/5a3c53cb-cad8-4184-9724-21ba236d5f00 |website=Financial Times |access-date=23 August 2023 |date=10 July 2023}}

In November 2024, it was announced that he's set to manage one of the 12 teams in the upcoming Baller League UK, a six-a-side football league.{{Cite web |date=2024-11-26 |title=Baller League: KSI, Gary Lineker, Luis Figo & John Terry among names involved in new football league |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c3rx5ll9y3zo |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}{{Cite news |last1=Buckingham |first1=Philip |last2=Stafford-Bloor |first2=Seb |title=What is Baller League, why are KSI and IShowSpeed involved and is it a game-changer? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5949002/2024/11/26/baller-league-explained-ksi-ishowspeed/ |access-date=2025-03-25 |work=The New York Times |date=26 November 2024 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

File:Gary Linekar.jpg

Lineker married Michelle Cockayne in 1986. They have four sons. In May 2006, Cockayne filed for divorce on the grounds of Lineker's alleged "unreasonable behaviour", with documents submitted to the court claiming that his actions in their marriage had caused her "stress and anxiety". The couple subsequently stated that the situation was amicable.{{cite news |title=Gary Lineker and wife to separate |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4960106.stm |work=BBC News |date=30 April 2006 |access-date=13 November 2006}}

In November 1991, Lineker's eldest son survived a rare form of leukaemia whilst he was a baby, and was treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. Lineker now supports children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent and has appeared in promotional clips encouraging people to give blood. Lineker has been actively involved with other cancer charities such as Leukaemia Busters, where between 1994 and 2005 Gary and Michelle were the charity's patrons.{{cite web|url=http://www.leukaemiabusters.org.uk/pages/background.aspx |title=Background of Leukaemia Busters |publisher=Leukaemia Busters |access-date=19 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618062453/http://www.leukaemiabusters.org.uk/pages/background.aspx |archive-date=18 June 2013}}{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/archive/2000/10/16/Hampshire+Archive/5626226.Gary_s_goal_is_to_fight_leukaemia/ |title=Gary's goal is to fight leukaemia |work=Daily Echo |date=16 October 2000 |access-date=29 May 2011}} He has also been involved with the Fight for Life and Cancer Research UK charities.{{cite web|url=http://www.fightforlife.org/appeal2008.html |title=Fight for Life Appeal 2008 |publisher=Fightforlife.org |access-date=3 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090807013235/http://www.fightforlife.org/appeal2008.html |archive-date=7 August 2009}}[http://www.cafonline.org/default.aspx?page=15216 "Gary Lineker to face questioning for Cancer Research UK charity fundraiser"], Charities Aid Foundation, 3 March 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2008.

Lineker was made a freeman of the City of Leicester in 1995 and he has been referred to as "Leicester's favourite son".{{cite news |last=Ley |first=John |title=Lineker keen to bale out Leicester for his boys' sake |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/championship/3036643/Lineker-keen-to-bale-out-Leicester-for-his-boys-sake.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=24 October 2002 |access-date=3 June 2015}}{{cite web |title=BBC – Leicester – Features – Lineker honoured |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/content/articles/2005/02/22/gary_lineker_road_opens_feature.shtml |publisher=BBC |date=23 February 2005 |access-date=3 June 2015}}

In October 2002, Lineker backed a £5 million bid to rescue his former club Leicester City, which had recently gone into administration, describing his involvement as "charity" rather than an "ego trip".{{cite news |last=Ley |first=John |title=Lineker keen to bail out Leicester for his boys' sake |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/championship/3036643/Lineker-keen-to-bale-out-Leicester-for-his-boys-sake.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=24 October 2002}} He stated that he would invest a six-figure sum and that other members of his consortium would invest a similar amount.{{cite news |title=Lineker unveils Leicester rescue bid |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/2352155.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=23 October 2002 |access-date=3 August 2009}} Lineker met with fans' groups to persuade them to try and raise money to rescue his former club. The club was eventually saved from liquidation. He is now honorary Vice President of Leicester City.

File:Gary and Danielle Lineker at The Asian Awards.jpg in 2015]]

Lineker married Danielle Bux on 2 September 2009, in Ravello, Italy. On 13 January 2016, Lineker and Bux announced they were divorcing, after six years of marriage,{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/12096442/Gary-Lineker-and-his-wife-to-divorce-because-hes-too-old-to-start-another-family.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/12096442/Gary-Lineker-and-his-wife-to-divorce-because-hes-too-old-to-start-another-family.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Gary Lineker and his wife to divorce 'because he's too old to start another family'|date=13 January 2016|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=13 January 2016}}{{cbignore}} the reason given being Gary not wanting more children.

In 1985, Lineker was best man at snooker player Willie Thorne's wedding{{cite news |last1=Rawling |first1=John |title=Willie Thorne obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jun/17/willie-thorne-obituary |access-date=23 June 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=17 June 2020}} and their close friendship was the subject of the VHS production, Best of Friends – The Official Story of Gary Lineker & Willie Thorne.{{Cite news|date=8 May 2014|title=Pirlo perfection, plus the Official Story of Gary Lineker and Willie Thorne|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/may/08/classic-youtube-best-sports-clips-on-the-web|access-date=17 June 2020}}

In November 2017, 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/09/revealed-scheme-gary-lineker-tax-barbados-home|title=Revealed: scheme that let Gary Lineker avoid tax on Barbados home|first1=Hilary|last1=Osborne|first2=Richard|last2=Luscombe|date=9 November 2017|work=The Guardian}}

Lineker speaks fluent Spanish, which he learnt during his time playing for FC Barcelona, and is an advocate for the teaching of foreign languages in schools.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/sep/26/gary-lineker-free-language-resources|title=Gary Lineker kickstarts language learning in schools|first=Anna|last=Codrea-Rado|newspaper=The Guardian |date=26 September 2013|via=www.theguardian.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/physical-educaton-ks3-gcse-gary-lineker-spanish/zmxsbdm|title=Spanish GCSE: Gary Lineker presents Match of the Day in Spanish|website=BBC Class Clips Video}}

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lineker announced that he was donating £140,000 to the British Red Cross towards research into the virus.{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/gary-lineker-salary-british-red-cross-coronavirus-appeal-a4405281.html|title=Gary Lineker donates £140,000 to British Red Cross appeal|date=2 April 2020|website=Evening Standard}}

On 28 March 2023 he won an appeal against HM Revenue and Customs over a bill that totalled £4.9 million. The authority had pursued him over taxes on income from the BBC and BT Sport from 2013–14 to 2017–18 on the grounds he was an employee of both organisations at the time. A judge ruled he was a freelancer and had contracts with both broadcasters.{{Cite news |date=28 March 2023 |title=Lineker wins appeal over 4.9 million pounds tax bill |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/lineker-wins-appeal-over-49-million-pounds-tax-bill-2023-03-28/ |access-date=29 March 2023}}

Lineker has been noted for political views which he shares on Twitter. In December 2016, he was described by Angus Harrison of Vice News as "the British Left's Loudest Voice" for being "both staunchly liberal and resolutely unafraid of making his views known".{{cite news |last1=Harrison |first1=Angus |title=How Gary Lineker Became the British Left's Loudest Voice |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/gary-lineker-voice-of-the-left-twitter/ |access-date=24 June 2022 |work=Vice News |date=1 December 2016}} Using a football analogy, Lineker defined his ideological position as "I make more runs to the left than the right, but never felt comfortable on the wing".{{cite news |last1=Sommers |first1=Jack |title=Gary Lineker Describes Feeling 'Politically Homeless' As Jeremy Corbyn Sacks Soft Brexit Backers |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/gary-lineker-hard-brexit-labour-conservative_uk_5955494fe4b05c37bb7d0051 |access-date=24 June 2022 |work=HuffPost |date=29 June 2017}} After the 2017 United Kingdom general election, in which Theresa May led the Conservatives and Jeremy Corbyn led Labour, Lineker wrote "Anyone else feel politically homeless? Everything seems far right or way left. Something sensibly centrist might appeal?"{{cite news |title=What Gary Lineker's political party might support |url=https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/people/gary-lineker-politician-need-76014 |access-date=24 June 2022 |work=i |date=30 June 2017}}{{cite news |title=Why Gary Lineker is the centrists' choice |url=https://www.theweek.co.uk/86236/gary-lineker-the-centrists-choice |access-date=24 June 2022 |work=The Week |date=30 June 2017}}

Lineker endorsed a Remain vote in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.{{cite news |last1=Blair |first1=Olivia |title=Gary Lineker backs Remain vote in EU referendum |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/eu-referendum-gary-lineker-backs-remain-vote-a7095246.html |access-date=24 June 2022 |work=The Independent |date=22 June 2016}} In July 2018, he 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.{{cite news |last=Heffer |first=Greg |title=Gary Lineker joins campaign for second Brexit referendum |url=https://news.sky.com/story/gary-lineker-joins-campaign-for-second-brexit-referendum-11448862 |publisher=Sky News |date=26 July 2018 |access-date=26 July 2018}}

On 18 October 2016, Lineker tweeted a rebuttal to a statement made by MP David Davies where Davies suggested refugees entering the UK should undergo dental checks to verify their age: "The treatment by some towards these young refugees is hideously racist and utterly heartless. What's happening to our country?"{{cite news |last1=Oppenheim |first1=Maya |title=Gary Lineker receives torrent of criticism after calling response to child refugees' arrival 'hideously racist' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/gary-lineker-twitter-criticism-defend-refugees-a7369156.html |access-date=24 June 2022 |work=The Independent |date=19 October 2016}} This led The Sun to call for Lineker's sacking from Match of the Day, accusing him of breaching BBC impartiality guidelines.{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2016/10/would-you-let-your-child-change-their-gender|title=Would you let your child change their gender?|website=New Statesman|date=28 October 2016|access-date=29 October 2016}}

In December 2018, Lineker was criticised by the BBC's cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew for expressing his political views on Twitter. Agnew said, "You are the face of BBC Sport. Please observe BBC editorial guidelines and keep your political views, whatever they are and whatever the subject, to yourself. I'd be sacked if I followed your example."{{cite news |last=Lyons |first=Kate |title=Gary Lineker criticised by Jonathan Agnew for 'political' Brexit tweets |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/dec/14/gary-lineker-criticised-by-jonathan-agnew-for-political-brexit-tweets |work=The Guardian |date=14 December 2018 |access-date=15 March 2023}} A BBC spokesperson said, "Gary is not involved in any news or political output for the BBC and as such, any expression of his personal political views does not affect the BBC's impartiality."{{cite news |title=Gary Lineker row: What can BBC presenters say and not say? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46566574 |access-date=24 June 2022 |publisher=BBC News |date=14 December 2018}}

In October 2022, a complaint about a tweet from Lineker that referred to donations to the Conservative Party was upheld by the BBC, on the grounds that it breached social media use guidelines and failed to meet editorial standards of impartiality.{{cite news |title=Gary Lineker and Twitter |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/ecu/gary-lineker-and-twitter |access-date=24 October 2022 |publisher=BBC News |date=13 October 2022}}{{cite news |last=Waterson |first=Jim |title=Gary Lineker found in breach of BBC guidelines with Tory donors tweet |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/oct/13/gary-lineker-found-in-breach-of-bbc-guidelines-with-tory-donors-tweet |access-date=24 October 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=13 October 2022}} During the 2022 World Cup, Qatari lawyer Hassan Al-Thawadi criticised Lineker for covering human rights violations in Qatar by stating that he did not talk about such issues with other host countries. In response, Lineker countered on The News Agents podcast that he covered issues in other host countries, and characterised the United States, one of the countries co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, as an "extraordinarily racist country".{{Cite web|first=Ben|last=Rumsby|title=Gary Lineker calls US 'extraordinarily racist country' and reignites row between BBC and Qatar|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-cup/2022/12/13/gary-lineker-reignites-row-bbc-qatar-calls-usa-extraordinarily/|website=The Daily Telegraph|date=13 December 2022|access-date=15 March 2023}} His statements on the United States were criticised by Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan in January 2023, who said they were "very derogatory questionable comments".{{Cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Connie |last2=Pitts |first2=Stephen |date=12 January 2023 |title=Culture Secretary criticises Gary Lineker over comments on Qatar and US racism |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/culture-secretary-criticises-gary-lineker-25955800 |access-date=8 March 2023 |website=WalesOnline |language=en}}

In March 2023, Lineker criticised the British government's asylum policy via Twitter. Commenting on a video message by the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, about stopping migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, he said the message was "beyond awful" and called the government's policy "an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s".{{cite news |last=Davies |first=Caroline |date=8 March 2023 |title=Gary Lineker to be spoken to by BBC after comparing UK asylum policy to Nazi Germany |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/08/gary-lineker-bbc-uk-asylum-policy-nazi-germany-match-of-the-day-presenter |access-date=8 March 2023}}{{Cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Caroline |last2=Clinton |first2=Jane |date=8 March 2023 |title=Gary Lineker responds to critics of his immigration policy comments |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/08/gary-lineker-bbc-uk-asylum-policy-nazi-germany-match-of-the-day-presenter |access-date=11 March 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |date=11 March 2023 |title=BBC è nei guai per avere sospeso Gary Lineker |trans-title=BBC is in trouble after suspending Gary Lineker |url=https://www.ilpost.it/2023/03/11/gary-lineker-sospeso-bbc/ |access-date=11 March 2023 |website=Il Post |language=it-IT}} The comments received condemnation from some Conservative politicians, including Braverman herself, and a spokesperson for Labour leader Keir Starmer said comparisons with 1930s Germany "aren't always the best way" to make an argument. Lineker received support from other political figures, including Baron Dubs, Alastair Campbell, and Angela Rayner.{{Cite news |last=Cooney |first=Christy |date=11 March 2023 |title='Assault on free speech': Gary Lineker's defenders and detractors |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/mar/11/assault-on-free-speech-gary-linekers-defenders-and-detractors |access-date=11 March 2023 |issn=0261-3077}} A BBC source said the corporation was taking the matter "seriously" and expected to have a "frank conversation" with Lineker. The BBC's culture and media editor Katie Razzall wrote, "As the UK's most scrutinised media organisation in increasingly polarised times, to say Gary Lineker's recent tweets cause difficulty for the BBC is an understatement."{{cite news |last=Razzall |first=Katie |date=8 March 2023 |title=Gary Lineker: Why his comments present a problem for the BBC |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64889868 |access-date=9 March 2023}} Lineker said he stood by his comments and did not fear suspension from his BBC work.{{cite news |last=Adams |first=Charley |date=9 March 2023 |title=Gary Lineker says he does not fear BBC suspension over asylum policy tweet |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64899472 |access-date=9 March 2023}}

On 10 March, the BBC said Lineker would step back from his job on Match of the Day because it considered "his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines". It added it had "decided Lineker will not present Match of the Day until there's an agreed and clear position on his use of social media".{{Cite news |last1=Maclellan |first1=Kylie |last2=Davey |first2=James |date=10 March 2023 |title=Lineker to 'step back' from BBC presenting after migration row |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/lineker-step-back-bbc-presenting-after-migration-row-2023-03-10/ |access-date=10 March 2023}}{{Cite web |date=11 March 2023 |title=Gary Lineker: BBC takes presenter off Match of the Day duties |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12830486/bbc-sorry-as-sports-shows-pulled-lineker-row-grows |access-date=11 March 2023 |website=Sky Sports |language=en-GB}} Lineker's BBC Sport colleagues Ian Wright, Alan Shearer,{{Cite news |last=Waterson |first=Jim |date=10 March 2023 |title=Match of the Day to air without presenter or pundits after Gary Lineker's suspension |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/10/gary-lineker-step-back-match-of-the-day-bbc |access-date=11 March 2023 |issn=0261-3077}} Steve Wilson, Conor McNamara, Robyn Cowen, Steven Wyeth,{{cite web |last=Evans |first=Gareth |date=10 March 2023 |title=Match of the Day in crisis as commentators join growing staff boycott |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64918162 |access-date=11 March 2023 |website=BBC News}} Alex Scott, Jason Mohammad, Mark Chapman, Jermaine Jenas, Dion Dublin and Jermain Defoe all pulled out of their respective roles in BBC programmes in the next hours in solidarity with him. As a result, the broadcaster was forced to reduce its sports-related schedules for 11 and 12 March, with Match of the Day going ahead without any hosts or studio presentation, thus featuring only match footage. It also affected the BBC World Service's English-language programme Sportsworld, which was not aired on that day and was instead replaced with alternative programming.{{cite news|title=BBC boss apologises for sport disruption but will not resign|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/entertainment-arts-64895316|work=BBC News|access-date=11 March 2023}} The BBC and Lineker issued coordinated statements on 13 March.{{cite web |title=Statements from BBC Director-General Tim Davie and Gary Lineker |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/statements/director-general-tim-davie-gary-lineker |website=BBC Media Centre |access-date=13 March 2023}} Lineker's suspension was ended and the BBC announced it would initiate an independent review of its social media guidelines and how they apply to freelancers outside news.{{cite news |date=13 March 2023 |title=Lineker 'delighted' to return as BBC reviews social media rules |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/entertainment-arts-64938252 |access-date=13 March 2023}} The BBC's director-general, Tim Davie, stated that Lineker had agreed to abide by the corporation's editorial guidelines until the review into them has been completed.

Since the controversy, Lineker has continued to use Twitter to comment on political issues. On 21 November 2023, he tweeted: "Worth 13 minutes of anyone's time." The tweet was accompanied by a link to an interview between Owen Jones and Raz Segal, in which Segal stated that Israel's actions in the Gaza war were "a textbook case of genocide". Lineker's tweet was interpreted by some to be an endorsement of Segal's views.{{cite web|first=Dominic|last=Penna|date=21 November 2023|title=Gary Lineker endorses video that accuses Israel of 'textbook genocide'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/11/21/bbc-lineker-israel-hamas-textbook-genocide-raz-segal/|website=The Telegraph|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231121204420/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/11/21/bbc-lineker-israel-hamas-textbook-genocide-raz-segal/|archive-date=21 November 2023|url-status=live}}{{cite web|first=Laurence|last=Sleator|date=22 November 2023|title=BBC staff's anger after Lineker shares Israel-Gaza 'genocide' video|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/gary-lineker-israel-genocide-gaza-tweet-sk8zm0236|website=The Times|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231122213313/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gary-lineker-israel-genocide-gaza-tweet-sk8zm0236|archive-date=22 November 2023|url-status=live}}{{cite web|first=Jake|last=Kanter|date=22 November 2023|title=BBC's Best-Paid Presenter Gary Lineker Appears To Endorse "Genocide" Claim Against Israel|url=https://deadline.com/2023/11/gary-lineker-endorse-genocide-claims-against-israel-bbc-1235633945/|website=Deadline|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122124922/https://deadline.com/2023/11/gary-lineker-endorse-genocide-claims-against-israel-bbc-1235633945/|archive-date=22 November 2023|url-status=live}}{{cite tweet|first=Gary|last=Lineker|user=GaryLineker|number=1726984161905545305|title=Worth 13 minutes of anyone's time.|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231121213125/https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/1726984161905545305|archive-date=21 November 2023|url-status=live}}

In December 2023, Lineker signed an open letter criticising the government's proposal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.{{cite web | url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/11/gary-lineker-and-brian-cox-back-call-to-scrap-rwanda-scheme | title= Gary Lineker and Brian Cox back call to scrap Rwanda scheme | work=The Guardian | first=Charlie | last=Moloney | date=11 December 2023 | access-date=18 June 2024}} Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson, and Jonathan Gullis accused him of violating impartiality and lodged a complaint with the BBC.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67701186|title=Gary Lineker seemed to break rules, next BBC chairman says|work=BBC News|first=Graeme|last=Baker|date=13 December 2023|accessdate=13 December 2023}}

{{notelist}}

{{anchor|International goals}}

Lineker earned his first cap for England in 1984 against Scotland during the 1983–84 British Home Championship.{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=8325|title=Scotland v England 1:1, football match 26 May 1984|last=|first=|date=26 May 1984|website=eu-football.into|access-date=}} He played his last game for England in a 2–1 loss against Sweden in a Euro 1992 group stage match.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/5091--sweden-vs-england/|title=UEFA EURO 1992 - Sweden-England|last=|first=|date=17 June 1992|website=UEFA|access-date=}} He almost equalled the England goalscoring record, held at the time by Bobby Charlton, in a pre-tournament friendly against Brazil, but he missed a penalty kick, leaving him one goal short of Charlton's total, which was overtaken by Wayne Rooney in 2015.{{cite web |title=England 2-0 Switzerland |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/33946644 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 September 2015 |access-date= }}

:Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lineker goal.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/lineker-intlg.html|title=Gary Lineker - Goals in International Matches|last=|first=|date=|website=RSSSF|access-date=}}

|align="center"|1–2

|align="center"|1–2

|1986 FIFA World Cup

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=714/match=392/index.html#nosticky|title=1986 FIFA World Cup - Argentina-England|last=|first=|date=22 June 1986|website=FIFA.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214004740/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=714/match=392/index.html#nosticky|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 February 2015|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|13

|rowspan="2"|15 October 1986

|rowspan="2"|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|rowspan="2"|19

|rowspan="2"|{{fb|NIR}}

|align="center"|1–0

|rowspan="2" align="center"|3–0

|rowspan="2"|UEFA Euro 1988 qualification

|rowspan="2"|{{Cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/1315--england-vs-northern-ireland/|title=UEFA EURO 1988 - England-Northern Ireland|last=|first=|date=15 October 1986|website=UEFA|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|14

|align="center"|3–0

|-

|align="center"|15

|rowspan="4"|18 February 1987

|rowspan="4"|Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain

|rowspan="4"|21

|rowspan="4"|{{fb|ESP|}}

|align="center"|1–1

|rowspan="4" align="center"|4–2

|rowspan="4"|Friendly

|rowspan="4"|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=622|title=Spain 2-4 England, Wednesday, 18th February 1987|last=|first=|date=18 February 1987|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|16

|align="center"|2–1

|-

|align="center"|17

|align="center"|3–1

|-

|align="center"|18

|align="center"|4–1

|-

|align="center"|19

|19 May 1987

|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|24

|{{Fb|BRA|1968}}

|align="center"|1–1

|align="center"|1–1

|1987 Rous Cup

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=625|title=England 1-1 Brazil, Tuesday, 19th May 1987|last=|first=|date=19 May 1987|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|20

|9 September 1987

|Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf, Germany

|25

|{{fb|West Germany}}

|align="center"|1–2

|align="center"|1–3

|Friendly

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=627|title=West Germany 3-1 England, Wednesday, 9th September 1987|last=|first=|date=9 September 1987|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|21

|rowspan="3"|14 October 1987

|rowspan="3"|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|rowspan="3"|26

|rowspan="3"|{{fb|TUR}}

|align="center"|2–0

|rowspan="3" align="center"|8–0

|rowspan="3"|UEFA Euro 1988 qualification

|rowspan="3"|{{Cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/1323--england-vs-turkiye/|title=UEFA EURO 1988 - England-Turkey|last=|first=|date=|website=|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|22

|align="center"|4–0

|-

|align="center"|23

|align="center"|7–0

|-

|align="center"|24

|23 March 1988

|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|28

|{{fb|NED}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|2–2

|Friendly

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=631|title=England 2-2 Netherlands|last=|first=|date=23 March 1988|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|25

|24 May 1988

|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|31

|{{Fb|COL}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|1–1

|1988 Rous Cup

|{{Cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=9015|title=England v Colombia 1:1, football match 24 May 1988|last=|first=|date=24 May 1988|website=eu-football.info|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|26

|7 September 1988

|Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland

|32

|{{fb|SUI}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|1–0

|Friendly

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=635|title=Switzerland 0-1 England|last=|first=|date=28 May 1988|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|27

|26 April 1989

|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|40

|{{fb|ALB|1946}}

|align="center"|2–0

|align="center"|5–0

|1990 FIFA World Cup qualification

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=644|title=England 5-0 Albania|last=|first=|date=26 April 1989|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|28

|3 June 1989

|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|41

|{{Fb|POL}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|3–0

|1990 FIFA World Cup qualification

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=647|title=England 3-0 Poland|last=|first=|date=3 June 1989|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|29

|7 July 1989

|Københavns Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark

|42

|{{fb|DEN}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|1–1

|Friendly

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=648|title=Denmark 1-1 England|last=|first=|date=7 July 1989|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|30

|28 March 1990

|rowspan="2"|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|47

|{{fb|BRA|1968}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|1–0

|Friendly

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=653|title=England 1-0 Brazil|last=|first=|date=28 March 1990|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|31

|15 May 1990

|49

|{{Fb|DEN}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|1–0

|Friendly

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=655|title=England 1-0 Denmark|last=|first=|date=15 May 1990|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|32

|11 June 1990

|Stadio Sant'Elia, Cagliari, Italy

|52

|{{fb|IRL}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|1–1

|1990 FIFA World Cup

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=322/match=161/index.html#overview#nosticky|title=1990 FIFA World Cup - England-Republic of Ireland|last=|first=|date=11 June 1990|website=FIFA.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511150601/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=322/match=161/index.html#overview#nosticky|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 May 2015|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|33

|rowspan="2"|1 July 1990

|rowspan="2"|Stadio San Paolo, Naples, Italy

|rowspan="2"|56

|rowspan="2"|{{fb|CMR}}

|align="center"|2–2

|rowspan="2" align="center"|3–2 {{Aet}}

|rowspan="2"|1990 FIFA World Cup

|rowspan="2"|{{Cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=751/match=103/index.html#overview#nosticky|title=1990 FIFA World Cup - England-Cameroon|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511142910/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=751/match=103/index.html#overview#nosticky|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 May 2015|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|34

|align="center"|3–2

|-

|align="center"|35

|4 July 1990

|Stadio delle Alpi, Turin, Italy

|57

|{{fb|West Germany}}

|align="center"|1–1

|align="center"|1–1 {{Pso|3–4}}

|1990 FIFA World Cup

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=3464/match=159/index.html#nosticky|title=1990 FIFA World Cup - Germany FR-England|last=|first=|date=4 July 1990|website=FIFA.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214005206/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=3464/match=159/index.html#nosticky|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 February 2015|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|36

|22 September 1990

|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|59

|{{fb|HUN}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|1–0

|Friendly

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=665|title=England 1-0 Hungary|last=|first=|date=12 September 1990|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|37

|17 October 1990

|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|60

|{{fb|POL}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|2–0

|UEFA Euro 1992 qualification

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/3022--england-vs-poland/|title=UEFA Euro 1992 - England-Poland|last=|first=|date=17 October 1990|website=UEFA|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|38

|rowspan="2"|6 February 1991

|rowspan="2"|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|rowspan="2"|62

|rowspan="2"|{{fb|CMR}}

|align="center"|1–0

|rowspan="2" align="center"|2–0

|rowspan="2"|Friendly

|rowspan="2"|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=668|title=England 2-0 Cameroon|last=|first=|date=6 February 1991|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|39

|align="center"|2–0

|-

|align="center"|40

|25 May 1991

|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|65

|{{fb|ARG|}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|2–2

|1991 England Challenge Cup

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=672|title=England 2-2 Argentina|last=|first=|date=25 May 1991|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|41

|3 June 1991

|Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand

|67

|{{fb|NZL}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|1–0

|Friendly

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=674|title=New Zealand 0-1 England|last=|first=|date=3 June 1991|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|42

|rowspan="4"|12 June 1991

|rowspan="4"|Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

|rowspan="4"|68

|rowspan="4"|{{fb|MAS}}

|align="center"|1–0

|rowspan="4" align="center"|4–2

|rowspan="4"|Friendly

|rowspan="4"|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=676|title=Malaysia 2-4 England|last=|first=|date=12 June 1991|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|43

|align="center"|2–0

|-

|align="center"|44

|align="center"|3–0

|-

|align="center"|45

|align="center"|4–1

|-

|align="center"|46

|13 November 1991

|Stadion Miejski, Poznań, Poland

|71

|{{Fb|POL}}

|align="center"|1–1

|align="center"|1–1

|UEFA Euro 1992 qualification

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/3022--england-vs-poland/|title=UEFA Euro 1992 - Poland-England|last=|first=|date=13 November 1991|website=UEFA|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|47

|19 February 1992

|Wembley Stadium, London, England

|72

|{{fb|FRA}}

|align="center"|2–0

|align="center"|2–0

|Friendly

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=680|title=England 2-0 France|last=|first=|date=19 February 1992|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|-

|align="center"|48

|29 April 1992

|Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia

|74

|{{fb|CIS}}

|align="center"|1–0

|align="center"|2–2

|Friendly

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=682|title=CIS 2-2 England|last=|first=|date=29 April 1992|website=englandstats.com|access-date=}}

|}

Leicester City

• Football League Second Division: 1979–80{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Everton

• FA Charity Shield: 1985{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Barcelona

• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1988–89{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
• Copa del Rey: 1987–88{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Tottenham Hotspur

• FA Cup: 1990–91{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
• FA Charity Shield: 1991 (shared){{cite web|title=1991/92 F.A. Charity Shield|url=http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/CommunityShield/1991-92CharityShield.htm|website=Footballsite|access-date=23 October 2019}}

Individual

• English Football Hall of Fame: 2003{{cite web|title=About the Hall of Fame|url=http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/explore-the-museum/hall-of-fame/about-the-hall-of-fame|publisher=National Football Museum|access-date=5 January 2016|archive-date=9 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109105741/http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/explore-the-museum/hall-of-fame/about-the-hall-of-fame|url-status=dead}}
• PFA Team of the Century (1977–1996): 2007{{cite news|title=Team of the Century: 1977–1996 – Souness, Robson & Hoddle...not a bad midfield trio! |url=http://www.givemefootball.com/pfa-legends/teams-of-the-century/team-of-the-century-1977-1996 |work=GiveMeFootball.com |publisher=Give Me Football |date=30 August 2007 |access-date=22 September 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081022111004/http://www.givemefootball.com/pfa-legends/teams-of-the-century/team-of-the-century-1977-1996 |archive-date=22 October 2008}}
• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 1985–86{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
• FWA Footballer of the Year: 1985–86, 1991–92{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
• PFA Team of the Year: 1989–90 First Division,{{cite book |last=Lynch |title=The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes |page=148}} 1991–92 First Division{{cite book |last=Lynch |title=The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes |page=149}}
• English First Division top scorer: 1984–85, 1985–86, 1989–90
• English Second Division top scorer: 1982–83{{cite web|title=English League Leading Goalscorers |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engtops.html |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |access-date=11 June 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628202228/http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/engtops.html |archive-date=28 June 2011 }}
• Ballon d'Or runner-up: 1986{{cite web |last1=Réthacker |first1=Jean-Philippe |title=Palmarès Ballon d'Or: 1986 - Igor Belanov |url=https://www.francefootball.fr/news/1986-igor-belanov/423429 |website=France Football |date=30 December 1986}}
• FIFA 100{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
• FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 1986{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1986{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
• Onze de Bronze: 1986{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
• Onze Mondial: 1986, 1987{{Cite web|title="Onze Mondial" Awards|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/onze-awards.html|access-date=2021-12-17|website=RSSSF|archive-date=4 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704020132/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/onze-awards.html|url-status=live}}
• World XI: 1986, 1987{{cite web |url=https://beyondthelastman.com/2014/03/10/eric-battys-world-xis-the-eighties-and-nineties/ |website=Beyond The Last Man |date=10 March 2014 |title=Eric Batty's World XI's – The Eighties and Nineties |access-date=23 July 2020 |archive-date=31 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131120633/https://beyondthelastman.com/2014/03/10/eric-battys-world-xis-the-eighties-and-nineties/ |url-status=live }}
• FIFA World Player of the Year bronze award: 1991{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/ballon-dor/archive/edition=1991/overview.html |title=Matthaus takes inaugural award |access-date=27 February 2015 |publisher=FIFA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227091021/http://www.fifa.com/ballon-dor/archive/edition%3D1991/overview.html |archive-date=27 February 2015 }}
• FIFA Fair Play Award: 1990{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
• FWA Tribute Award: 1997{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Lineker is a Visiting Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, appointed 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lmh.ox.ac.uk/visiting-fellows|title=Visiting Fellows at LMH|website=Lady Margaret Hall|language=en|access-date=21 January 2020}}

In 1992, he received an Honorary Master of Arts award from Loughborough University.{{Cite web |title=University Honours archive {{!}} Graduation {{!}} Loughborough University |url=https://www.lboro.ac.uk/students/graduation/honorary-graduates/archive/ |access-date=7 February 2024 |website=www.lboro.ac.uk}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |title=Gary Lineker: Strikingly Different |first=Colin |last=Malam |publisher=Stanley Paul |location=London |year=1993 |isbn=0-09-175424-0 }}

{{commons category}}

• {{NFT player}}
• {{Soccerbase|id=4536}}
• {{Englandstats | 980 }}
• {{IMDb name|id=0512633}}
• {{J.League player}}
• [https://www.jleague.jp/video/detail/1785/ Lineker's first goal in Jleague] – J.League official

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{{England squad 1986 FIFA World Cup}}

{{England squad UEFA Euro 1988}}

{{England squad 1990 FIFA World Cup}}

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{{1986 FIFA World Cup Team of the Tournament}}

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{{1989–90 Football League First Division PFA Team of the Year}}

{{1991–92 Football League First Division PFA Team of the Year}}

{{English First Division top scorers}}

{{English Second Division top scorers}}

{{PFA Players' Player of the Year}}

{{FWA Footballer of the Year}}

{{FWA Tribute Award}}

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{{Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Hall of Fame}}

{{English Football Hall of Fame}}

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{{People's Vote}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lineker, Gary}}

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