Betfair taps Alan Shearer for 'Hot Take Hotline' World Cup campaign

Betfair has launched Alan Shearer's 'Hot Take Hotline' ahead of this summer's World Cup, giving users the chance to provide opinions and share takes directly to the English football legend throughout the tournament.

Fans can submit their views on everything from England's chances, Scotland's prospects, team selections, VAR drama, breakout stars, and all things World Cup for the 2026 tournament.

As part of the initiative, Alan Shearer will be reviewing and answering the "best, boldest and most controversial" opinions and giving his own hot take on a weekly basis across Betfair's channels, starting next week following England's warm-up matches.

The Hot Take Hotline is now live, and users can get involved by calling 0800-707-4073 and leaving a voicemail. Calls from the UK are free.

Opinions sent in by fans were put to the Premier League all-time top goalscorer. The launch has already produced a few classic football arguments, including Shearer responding to criticism of his Premier League legacy.

"Did Gary Neville send that one in?!"

Introducing @alanshearer's Hot Take Hotline 📞 pic.twitter.com/rWhlS5tA1E

— Betfair (@Betfair) June 2, 2026

"One Premier League title in 18 years, and an eight-game managerial spell that ended in relegation shouldn't qualify someone as a Premier League all-time great, should it?" was one "spiky" opinion put to Shearer this week.

"That's one Premier League title more than you!" was the response from the Betfair Ambassador.

Betfair Spokesperson James Mackie said: "When it comes to England at a World Cup, everyone and their nan has an opinion. At Betfair, we love to celebrate those big, bold takes that make football the beautiful game. So, we've launched Shearer's Hot Take Hotline to give fans the opportunity to put their steaming opinions to an English football legend, and each week Alan will call it how it is."