The World Cup semi-finals take place on July 14 and 15, 2026, determining Sunday's finalists and signaling the end of major schedule disruptions for ITV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale, as well as BBC's EastEnders. The football tournament began on June 11, with coverage on ITV until July 19, causing frequent changes to regular programming.
This disruption comes just months after Coronation Street and Emmerdale adopted a new 'soap power hour' scheduling pattern on ITV, featuring half-hour episodes back-to-back nightly, replacing previous hour-long slots. The World Cup has consistently interrupted this new pattern, while BBC's Wimbledon coverage has also moved some EastEnders episodes from BBC One to BBC Two.
Coronation Street Schedule This Week
Coronation Street airs as follows:
- Monday, July 13: 8:30pm (half-hour episode)
- Tuesday, July 14: No episode
- Wednesday, July 15: 9:00pm (hour-long episode)
- Thursday, July 16: 8:30pm (half-hour episode)
- Friday, July 17: 8:30pm (half-hour episode)
Tuesday's episode is cancelled due to football, but an hour-long episode on Wednesday compensates. Recent storylines include Kit Green being shocked after Sarah Platt confessed to murdering Theo Silverton, Betsy Swain rushed to hospital, and Cassie Plummer struggling with the arrival of Tyrone Dobbs' biological father Ross Wilkes. Episodes stream on ITVX and YouTube from 7am on airing days.
Emmerdale Schedule This Week
Emmerdale airs as follows:
- Monday, July 13: 8:00pm (half-hour episode)
- Tuesday, July 14: No episode
- Wednesday, July 15: 8:00pm (hour-long episode)
- Thursday, July 16: 8:00pm (half-hour episode)
- Friday, July 17: 8:00pm (half-hour episode)
An hour-long episode on Wednesday replaces Tuesday's missed installment. Thursday and Friday air at the usual 8pm slot. Key plot points include Kev Townsend revealing to Robert Sugden that his cousin Serena Sugden is a police officer, Mackenzie Boyd dealing with the aftermath of his fight with Ross Barton, and Gabby Thomas' relationship with food affecting her parenting. Episodes stream on ITVX and YouTube from 7am on airing days.
EastEnders Schedule This Week
EastEnders airs as follows:
- Monday, July 13: 7:30pm
- Tuesday, July 14: 7:30pm
- Wednesday, July 15: No episode
- Thursday, July 16: 7:30pm
- Friday, July 17: 7:30pm
Only Wednesday's episode is affected due to the World Cup semi-final on BBC One. In Walford, Denise Fox returns home from hospital but hides that her cancer treatment has not worked as hoped. Sharon Watts clashes with Zoe Slater, and Ian Beale ponders his future after announcing he will plead guilty at his hearing. Episodes stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am on airing days.
This article was originally published on July 6, 2026.
