The days of watching every World Cup game are long gone. With the expansion to 48 teams, this year’s tournament will feature 72 group games – 108 hours of football, not counting injury time and drinks breaks – just to narrow the field to 32 sides, the number fans have grown accustomed to since 1998.
For UK viewers, the BBC and ITV are broadcasting every match live. But the sheer scale of the schedule comes at a cost: ITV’s flagship soap Emmerdale, which usually airs at 8pm, faces major disruption as its slot clashes with high-stakes group-stage games.
“108 hours of World Cup group-stage football forces ITV to shake up Emmerdale and Coronation Street schedules.”
Emmerdale typically broadcasts 30-minute episodes, but over the coming weeks ITV may show hour-long blocks – two episodes back-to-back – to make up for lost time. Coronation Street is also affected by the tournament, which is being hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. ITV’s TV guide for soaps currently only runs to Friday, June 19, leaving further scheduling uncertain.
For those unwilling to miss their fix, each episode will be available to stream on ITVX on the day of broadcast.
The Guardian’s Opta Analyst has picked 10 group games not to miss, including Mexico v South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca – a repeat of the 2010 opener – and Brazil v Morocco on the third day of the tournament. Brazil, five-time champions, have been playing a gung-ho 4-2-4 formation under Carlo Ancelotti, while Morocco have adopted a more attacking ethos since their surprise 2022 semi-final run.
Other highlights include Netherlands v Japan, a match that grabs attention given the Dutch squad’s talent. But for many British households, the battle between live football and beloved soaps may prove the most gripping contest of the group stage.