Coronation Street and Emmerdale fans face another night of disappointment as ITV axes both soaps to make way for World Cup 2026 coverage — this time England vs Croatia. The broadcaster has bumped the weekday staples from their usual slots on Wednesday and Thursday, with Switzerland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina taking over on 18 June. Normal service resumes Friday, with Emmerdale at 8pm and Corrie at 8.30pm, each running the standard 30 minutes.
The disruption is part of the biggest World Cup ever: 104 games across the US, Canada and Mexico, all available free-to-air on BBC, ITV and STV in the UK. Viewers must factor in the time difference, though some kick-offs fall at kinder hours like 6pm and 8pm BST. Among the highlights: Scotland vs Morocco (11pm BST on ITV), England vs Ghana (9pm BST on BBC One), and Brazil vs Haiti (2am BST on ITV).
“World Cup 2026 forces ITV to axe Coronation Street and Emmerdale for England vs Croatia, with soap storylines spiralling into gun threats and cancer revelations.”
For those missing the drama in Weatherfield, the Corrie storyline has taken a dark turn. Carl Webster drew a gun on his half-brother Kevin during a scuffle at the garage, then hid the firearm in a car’s wheel arch. He told Fiona Morley where it was as he tried to end their partnership — but Jodie Ramsey was watching and stole the weapon. Fiona, unaware of the theft, ordered Carl to find it or face consequences. Ronnie and Debbie overheard the exchange, leaving multiple parties in the know.
Over in the Dales, an hour-long Emmerdale episode left Cain Dingle reeling after a hospital appointment revealed his cancer may have spread. Moira, who attended the meeting, later visited a heavily drinking Charity Dingle, who accidentally let slip that Cain had propositioned her while Moira was in prison. Moira was left in bits — whether she can forgive her husband remains to be seen.
With World Cup fixtures now dictating the TV landscape, soap devotees will have to wait until Friday to see how these tangled plots unfold.