"I Cry Over Gaza Images": Gary Lineker Talks to Mehdi about Israel, Refugees, and Messi
“I can't be silent about what's happening,” Gary Lineker.
Most people with the kind of fame and influence that footballing legend and British broadcaster Gary Lineker has tend to stay away from politics, and especially contentious issues like Gaza. The former England captain, however, takes them head on in an exclusive interview on ‘Mehdi Unfiltered.’
On Gaza, Lineker talked to Mehdi about the backlash he’s received for criticizing Israel’s war on the embattled strip. “It's not antisemitic to say that what Israel is doing is wrong,” Gary says. Between celebrities being canceled for speaking for the people of Gaza, and others being labeled antisemitic for doing the same – Lineker says he is secure enough in his career that he “can't be silent about what's happening.”
On immigration, Lineker described the UK as a “welcoming country” with a “small percentage” of people who can make it seem like they are not. “We can't have everybody, we know that, but we need to take our fair share,” said Gary. While very few practice what they preach, Gary did not miss practice on this one. The father of four welcomed two refugees (who had no idea who he was) into his home in 2022, an experience that he described as “very special” to him and his sons.
On the beautiful game of football (soccer if you’re an American!), Mehdi took Lineker on a trip down memory lane by asking him if the sport is better today than it was during his time on the pitch – rest easy Gen Z, he said it’s better today. The sports chat ranged from conversations on whether states should own football teams, all the way to who Gary would want to trade football careers with – hint, he’s a recent FIFA World Cup winner.
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