Gary Lineker has fired back at Jamie Carragher after the former Liverpool defender claimed to be on "the best podcast" during Champions League coverage this week.
The podcast rivalry between Lineker's "The Rest Is Football" and the "Stick to Football" podcast featuring Gary Neville and Carragher has intensified following these comments.
Lineker's show currently sits above "Stick to Football" at the top of both Apple and Spotify charts.
The former England striker made it clear he believes his podcast is superior to the one featuring Sky Sports pundits.
Gary Lineker has fired back at Jamie Carragher after the former Liverpool defender claimed to be on "the best podcast" during Champions League coverage this week
RESTISFOOTBALL/PA
The spat began when Carragher's phone went off while on air for CBS Sports during Champions League coverage.
When co-presenter Micah Richards asked if he was at the top of his game, Carragher boldly replied: "Well, I'm on the best Champions League show, I'm on the best Premier League show and I'm on the best podcast."
Lineker, who co-hosts "The Rest Is Football" with Richards and Alan Shearer, quickly challenged this assertion.
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Gary Lineker has enjoyed big success with his Rest is Football podcast
Rest is Football"They're trying to pretend that they've got the best football podcast?" Lineker said on his latest episode.
"They're languishing miles behind - and that's OK, we like people to have a bit of competition in there."
Lineker didn't hold back in his criticism of the rival podcast's format as the war exploded.
"You can't be the best podcast when you stand there talking over each other all the time," he remarked.
"They're a YouTube show, we know that, because you can't have five people round a thing doing a podcast, it's just too many, it doesn't work."
Lineker then added a tongue-in-cheek comment about his expertise: "Not that I know anything about podcasts."
The comments have added fuel to what appears to be a good-natured rivalry between the two popular football shows.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Lineker's success in the podcast arena extends beyond the popularity charts to impressive financial growth.
He founded Goalhanger Podcasts in 2019, which now produces 13 different shows.
"The Rest is Football" stands as the company's most popular offering.
Jamie Carragher regularly appears on the Stick to Football podcast
PARecent accounts filed with Companies House reveal remarkable business performance.
Goalhanger Podcasts' retained earnings rose from £590,000 in 2023 to £2.03m in 2024, representing a profit of £1.4m.
The company's cash reserves have also seen substantial growth, with bank holdings increasing from £560,000 to £2.7m during the same period.
