Lineker is ending his 26-year relationship with the corporation prematurely over the post, which was considered to be an antisemitic slur.
Lineker’s last appearance on the BBC will be on Sunday 25 May, the final day of the season.
A source told The Sun that Lineker had met with BBC bosses last week: “Gary acknowledged his position at the BBC, anchoring the most prestigious tournament in world football, was untenable, and he will not be hosting the World Cup.
“He remains absolutely devastated by the recent turn of events and is deeply regretful about how his post was interpreted. His last Match of the Day will air on Sunday now and he won’t be back.”
Quitting the BBC would allow Lineker to express his views on the Middle East without any constraints. He has said he would not seek another presenting role and will focus on expanding his award-winning Goalhanger podcasts business.
The row over Lineker’s social media post about Zionism, which included an illustration of a rat, proved to be the final straw in his increasingly fraught relationship with the BBC.
BBC boss Tim Davie expressed his frustration over the post, telling a conference in Salford that such social media “mistakes” cause the BBC reputational damage. He said everyone who worked for the BBC must follow its impartiality rules.
Insiders believed the apology was an attempt to save his job after the post – which he deleted – led to calls by Jewish groups for him to be sacked.
But the apology did not stem the tide of calls for the BBC to take action against the 64-year-old, including from former BBC Director of Television Danny Cohen.
He also said the BBC would be “absolutely mad to mess around with Match of the Day” after his departure and noted that BBC Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski, who comes from a journalism background, “has no television experience”.
Lineker accused the BBC of bowing to powerful lobbying groups, an accusation seen as direct criticism of BBC Chairman Samir Shah who said the documentary had been pulled due to serious editorial failings.
This is a breaking news story and is being updated
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