UK TV coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will cause disruption for the country’s three biggest soaps across BBC and ITV.
BBC’s Eastenders will avoid the brunt of the initial impact because the flagship broadcaster’s opening match isn’t until Friday 12 June, which is a night that Eastenders no longer airs on unless displaced by alternative programming earlier in the week.
Eastenders fans however will feel the impact of the tournament in the week commencing 15 June, with the episodes scheduled for Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 June moved to BBC Two but kept in its 7:30pm BST slots due to BBC One having World Cup coverage.
The East-London soap however shifts back to BBC One on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 June but at the later time of 8:30pm.
This decision means that Eastenders will be the lead-out programme of BBC’s coverage of Portugal’s Group K opener against DR Congo, which kicks off at 6pm UK Time on 17 June, whilst it will follow the BBC News on 18 June which shifts to 7:30pm due to Czech Republic’s clash against South Africa at 5pm that day.
ITV’s soaps however faces extensive disruption even before the World Cup commences due to ITV also having coverage of England Women’s final two qualifiers for 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup on 5 and 9 June.
This decision means that Emmerdale and Coronation Street will be displaced on Friday 5 June due to the Lionesses’ qualifier away to Spain, with episodes airing at 8 and 8:30pm on Sunday 7 June instead.
Both ITV soaps air in their normal slots on Monday 8 June but will not broadcast on Tuesday 9 June due to the Lionesses’ qualifier against Ukraine.
ITV have slotted Emmerdale and Corrie in at 7 and 7:30pm on Wednesday 10 June ahead of England’s final warm-up friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando, USA, which is scheduled for a 9pm kick-off with coverage commencing at 8pm.
Neither soaps will air on Thursday 11 June because ITV will have live coverage of the World Cup opener between Mexico and South Africa, with coverage commencing at 6:15pm ahead of the 8pm kick-off.
Emmerdale and Corrie consequently will air hour-long editions on Friday 12 June at 8 and 9pm respectively, with the scheduling repeated on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 June.
Neither soaps will air episodes on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 June, before returning to their normal slots on Friday 19 June at 8 and 8:30pm respectively.
It remains unclear whether the early episode release on BBC iPlayer and ITVX on days on linear airings will continue as normal, or potentially switch to a weekly boxset to allow viewers more freedom of when they watch their favourite soaps.
The disruption to soap schedules will continue across the tournament with BBC and ITV set to confirm schedule changes for week commencing 22 June on Wednesday 10 June, whilst there will be much shorter notice of soap schedule changes from 28 June when the knockout stages commence.
Full details of schedule disruption for all three soaps can be found below.
Emmerdale (ITV)
Sunday 7 June – 8pm (30 minutes)
Monday 8 June – 8pm (30 minutes)
Tuesday 9 June – No Episode
Wednesday 10 June – 7pm (30 minutes)
Thursday 11 June – No Episode
Friday 12 June – 8pm (60 minutes)
Monday 15 June – 8pm (60 minutes)
Tuesday 16 June – 8pm (60 minutes)
Wednesday 17 June – No Episode
Thursday 18 June – No Episode
Friday 19 June – 8pm (30 minutes)
Coronation Street
Sunday 7 June – 8:30pm (30 minutes)
Monday 8 June – 8:30pm (30 minutes)
Tuesday 9 June – No Episode
Wednesday 10 June – 7:30pm (30 minutes)
Thursday 11 June – No Episode
Friday 12 June – 9pm (60 minutes)
Monday 15 June – 9pm (60 minutes)
Tuesday 16 June – 9pm (60 minutes)
Wednesday 17 June – No Episode
Thursday 18 June – No Episode
Friday 19 June – 8:30pm (30 minutes)
Eastenders
Monday 15 June – 7:30pm (BBC2)
Tuesday 16 June – 7:30pm (BBC2)
Wednesday 17 June – 8:30pm (BBC1)
Thursday 18 June – June – 8:30pm (BBC1)