Gary Lineker has reportedly inked a multi-million-pound agreement with Netflix to present The Rest Is Football podcast at next summer's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Sun reports the former England striker's production firm, Goalhanger, has struck a deal to sell the programme's rights to the American streaming behemoth.

The publication suggests that his fresh contract will eclipse his previous BBC arrangement, where he pocketed £1.35million for fronting Match of the Day and additional programmes. This means Lineker will go head-to-head with his ex-BBC counterparts at the tournament next summer as Netflix kicks off its podcasting expansion drive.

It's said that The Rest Is Football will broadcast daily rather than its existing thrice-weekly schedule, featuring fellow co-presenters Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. The BBC axed its licensing agreement with The Rest is Football in May, though the podcast remains accessible on alternative platforms and has racked up over eight million YouTube views.

The arrangement is expected to be unveiled on Tuesday. A source told the publication: "It's a really exciting deal and Gary is thrilled. It means he will be at the World Cup after all.

"It's Netflix's first real foray into football coverage, with a daily show built around the podcast. This will also introduce Gary to a whole new international audience. Netflix first approached his company a few months ago, and his son Harry will also be joining him Stateside as he's a producer, so it'll be a real family affair."

Lineker departed the BBC earlier this year following a social media post concerning Zionism that featured a rat emoji, which has historically been employed as an antisemitic slur.

The 65-year-old shared a heartfelt social media statement, subsequently revealing he was stepping down by mutual agreement and expressed regret for any offence triggered by the post, explaining he had not noticed the rat when he reshared the story.

In a poignant social media message following the controversy, Lineker declared: "Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember both on the pitch and in the studio. I care deeply about the game, and about the work I've done with the BBC over many years.

"As I've said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic - it goes against everything I stand for. However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action."

Lineker has been a vocal champion of human rights and had previously clashed with his former employers over the BBC's impartiality guidelines. He was briefly suspended as Match of the Day presenter in 2023 after drawing comparisons between the then-Conservative government's asylum policy and Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

Co-hosts Shearer and Ian Wright subsequently boycotted the programme in solidarity, though the show proceeded without any post-match commentary.