Markus Lanz talk show skipped on June 25, 2026 as World Cup match airs

On Thursday 25 June 2026 the ZDF programme “Markus Lanz” was omitted from the schedule. The regular late‑evening edition, which normally draws around 1.5 million viewers, was cancelled because the German national football team’s group‑stage match against Ecuador was being broadcast live as part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match, shown on ARD and MagentaTV, started at 22:00 local time, overlapping the usual “Markus Lanz” timeslot (approximately 22:45–midnight). All reports note that the show will resume its normal rhythm on Tuesday 30 June 2026 at 23:45 on ZDF, with the episode also available afterward in the ZDF Mediathek.