The BBC reportedly fears a mass exodus of Match of the Day pundits ahead of the new Premier League season but a familiar name is set to join
Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld will join the Match of the Day punditry team for the upcoming season. The Belgian has arrived amid reports that BBC higher-ups fear an exodus of other pundits from the flagship show.
Alderweireld, 37, spent six years at Tottenham and was part of the squad which reached the final of the 2018/19 Champions League. He hung up his boots in 2025, finishing his career in his native Belgium with Royal Antwerp.
The 127-cap international will join a growing list of former Tottenham players to move into the punditry game. Former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker is one of the more recognisable names in that camp, while one-time Spurs keeper Joe Hart has been an increasingly common presence in the Beeb's studio.
The broadcaster confirmed the former centre-back as one of a number of names set to join the show throughout the season. Others due to join the established line-up include ex-Spurs boss Thomas Frank, who was also part of the BBC's World Cup coverage.
The Sun reports that Alderweireld's arrival comes amid uncertainty around other pundits. The publication alleges clashes between BBC Sport chief Alex Kay-Jelski and figures associated with Match of the Day but the BBC said in a statement: “We have repeatedly told The Sun these anonymous claims are untrue and we look forward to bringing audiences the return of Match of the Day this weekend with its established line-up of presenters and pundits – alongside a host of new guest voices bringing fresh insight from inside the game.”
The latest claims come just one year after the Beeb completed an overhaul of the presenting lineup for the Saturday night highlights show. Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan form a rotating cast of anchors following Lineker's exit at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Lineker was on Netflix during the World Cup as he presented The Rest is Football from the other side of the Atlantic and extended an agreement with the streaming giant for the next two Premier League campaigns. Alan Shearer and Micah Richards split their commitments between both programmes during the World Cup and The Sun now claims several Match of the Day pundits are considering departing for Lineker's new venture.
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Lineker had originally been scheduled to front the BBC's World Cup broadcasts even following his departure from Match of the Day. Yet this arrangement shifted when he stepped away in May 2025 following controversy over a social media post, and he has discussed his life away from the Beeb in an interview on the eve of the international tournament.
"I've got a bit more time, I'm not treading on quite so many eggshells these days, I'm allowed an opinion on things.," he told the Press Association.
"But no, I had a wonderful period at the Beeb, and I've covered so many major tournaments, and obviously I was going to do this (the 2026 World Cup) originally, but now I'm doing something different, which is really exciting."
Alderweireld's next step comes just two months after he volunteered to help former club Spurs in the light of their narrow relegation escape. "I'm not saying that I will fix every problem. Of course not. But if they ask me what I think, of course I want to try to help. But I'm not saying I can fix it all," he told The Standard.
"Antwerp was an unbelievable end of my career, and that's the club of my heart because it's my city. But I'm so thankful with Spurs, my best period as a football player at my peak.
"I think I've always had a very, very, very good connection with the fans, with the club. Yeah, so I'm very grateful. If I can help, if they want my help, why not?"