2026 World Matchplay
| 2026 Betfred World Matchplay | |||
|---|---|---|---|
![]() | |||
| Tournament information | |||
| Dates | 18–26 July 2026 | ||
| Venue | Winter Gardens | ||
| Location | Blackpool, England | ||
| Organisation(s) | Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) | ||
| Format | Legs | ||
| Prize fund | £1,000,000 | ||
| Winner's share | £225,000 | ||
| Nine-dart finish | Luke Littler | ||
| High checkout | |||
| Champion(s) | |||
| |||
The 2026 World Matchplay (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2026 Betfred World Matchplay) was a professional darts tournament that took place from 18 to 26 July 2026 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, England. It was the 33rd staging of the World Matchplay by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). The event's prize fund was an increased total of £1,000,000, with the winner receiving £225,000. The fifth edition of the Women's World Matchplay also took place on 26 July and was won by Beau Greaves.
Sponsored by Betfred, the tournament featured 32 players, consisting of the top 16 players in the two-year PDC World Rankings and the top 16 players from the one-year PDC Pro Tour rankings who had not yet qualified. Kevin Doets, William O'Connor, Niko Springer and Niels Zonneveld made their debuts at the event. The 2021 champion Peter Wright missed out on qualification for the first time since 2012, while 2007 champion James Wade qualified for the 21st consecutive year.
Luke Littler was the defending champion, having defeated Wade 18–13 in the 2025 final. He hit the 11th nine-dart finish in World Matchplay history in the opening leg of his second-round match against Nathan Aspinall. He went on to reach his second straight final, a run that saw him become the first player to pass the £3 million mark in the PDC World Rankings. He faced Gerwyn Price, who reached his second World Matchplay final.
Littler defended his title by defeating Price 18–9 to win the tournament for the second time. He became the fourth player to retain the Phil Taylor Trophy and the first to do so since Michael van Gerwen in 2016. He set new records for the highest three-dart average in a World Matchplay final and the highest winning tournament average in World Matchplay history, both previously held by Taylor. He also surpassed his own record for the most maximums (180s) in a World Matchplay campaign, improving it from 64 to 66.
Overview
Background

The 2026 World Matchplay was the 33rd edition of the tournament to be staged by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) since the inaugural event in 1994.[1] Held annually at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, England, with the exception of the 2020 event held in Milton Keynes,[2] the inaugural champion was Larry Butler, who remains the only American to win a PDC major title; he defeated Dennis Priestley 16–12 in an upset victory in the final.[3][4] In 2018, the World Matchplay trophy was renamed to the Phil Taylor Trophy, in honour of the sixteen-time champion who retired from professional darts following the 2018 World Championship. Taylor won his sixteenth and final World Matchplay title at the 2017 event.[5] The Women's World Matchplay was introduced in 2022 as the PDC's first fully-televised women's tournament;[6][7] the 2026 Women's World Matchplay was won by Beau Greaves.[8]
The 2026 edition took place from 18 to 26 July 2026 in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens.[9][10] British bookmaker Betfred continued its sponsorship of the event, having extended its partnership with the PDC until 2030.[11] Luke Littler entered the tournament as defending champion, having defeated James Wade 18–13 in the 2025 final to win his first World Matchplay title.[12][13]
Format
The top 16 players in the PDC World Rankings were seeded, and were drawn to compete against the 16 qualifiers from the PDC Pro Tour rankings in the first round.[14] All matches were in leg play format. All matches had to be won by two clear legs; if the players could not be separated, the match was decided by a sudden-death leg.[15]
The number of legs required to win increased as the tournament progressed:[14][15]
- First round: Best of 19 legs (sudden death at 12–12)
- Second round: Best of 21 legs (sudden death at 13–13)
- Quarter-finals: Best of 31 legs (sudden death at 18–18)
- Semi-finals: Best of 33 legs (sudden death at 19–19)
- Final: Best of 35 legs (sudden death at 20–20)
Prize money
The prize fund for the event increased to £1,000,000, up from the previous year's total of £800,000.[16][17] The winner received £225,000 and the Phil Taylor Trophy. The prize money breakdown is shown below:[1]
| Position (no. of players) | Prize money (Total: £1,000,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | (1) | £225,000 |
| Runner-up | (1) | £125,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £65,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £35,000 |
| Second round | (8) | £22,500 |
| First round | (16) | £12,500 |
Broadcasts
The tournament was broadcast on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Other broadcasters included DAZN in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; Fox Sports in Australia; Sky Sport in New Zealand; Viaplay in the Netherlands, Iceland and Scandinavia; ESPN2 and ESPN+ in the United States; Canal+ in Poland; VTM in Belgium; Nova Sport in the Czech Republic and Slovakia; L'Équipe in France; AMC Network in Hungary; Arena Sport in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia; TV3 in the Baltic states; Zonasport in Croatia; Setanta in Ukraine; beIN Sports in the Middle East and North Africa; and StarHub TV in Singapore. It was also available for subscribers outside of the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on the PDC's streaming service, PDCTV.[18][19]
Qualification

The top 16 players in the two-year PDC World Rankings at the qualification cut-off point were seeded for the tournament. The top 16 players from the one-year PDC Pro Tour rankings, not to have already qualified through the main ranking, were unseeded. The full field was confirmed following Players Championship 24 on 7 July.[20]
Kevin Doets, William O'Connor, Niko Springer and Niels Zonneveld made their debuts at the event. Two-time world champion and 2021 World Matchplay champion Peter Wright failed to qualify for the first time since 2012, while Daryl Gurney missed out for the first time since 2015. Dave Chisnall secured the final qualifying spot by overtaking Gurney in the PDC Pro Tour rankings during Players Championship 24, extending his qualifying streak to 16 years.[21][22][23] James Wade, the 2007 champion and seven-time finalist, qualified for his 21st consecutive World Matchplay.[24]
The following players qualified for the tournament.[9] Their placement in the tournament is shown in parentheses.
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PDC World Rankings
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Pro Tour rankings
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Summary
First round

The first round (best of 19 legs) began on 18 July.[25] Reigning champion and world number one Luke Littler began his title defence with a 10–6 victory over German debutant Niko Springer. The Englishman trailed Springer 3–2 at the first interval, but won five of the last six legs from 5–5 to secure the win.[26] Littler, who ended the match with a three-dart average of 109.53, found it "annoying" to not have the lead heading into the second break but was satisfied with his performance from then on, stating: "From leg 11 I was on 120 average which goes to show how well I was playing. If I get better I'll be happier."[27] The 2023 champion Nathan Aspinall averaged 105.32 and landed a 167 checkout as he defeated Joe Cullen 10–5 to set up a meeting with Littler in the second round.[27] Stephen Bunting led Niels Zonneveld 8–5 before the Dutch debutant completed back-to-back 10-dart legs and converted a 164 checkout to level the match at 8–8. Zonneveld went on to miss three match darts as the pair entered a sudden-death leg, where Bunting sealed a 13–12 win.[28] Josh Rock was a 10–4 winner against Luke Woodhouse, punishing Woodhouse's 20 missed darts at double.[27]
Three-time champion Michael van Gerwen initially went 4–1 behind against Andrew Gilding, but the Dutchman won nine of the last 11 legs to prevail 10–6. On missing double 12 for a nine-dart finish during the match, Van Gerwen claimed the dart slipped out of his hand, adding: "For me as a dart player, it doesn't really matter if it's nine darts or it's 30 darts."[29] The 2018 champion Gary Anderson averaged 109.96 and compiled finishes of 144 and 141 in his 10–2 victory over Ryan Joyce, winning five consecutive legs to close the match.[30] Chris Dobey hit 13 maximums during his contest with Dirk van Duijvenbode, but the Englishman missed four match darts before entering a tie-break scenario at 9–9, where Van Duijvenbode achieved the two clear legs required to win 13–11 and eliminate the 13th seed.[31] Jonny Clayton converted a 144 checkout to complete a 10–7 win against Damon Heta, advancing to a second-round match against Anderson, who Clayton called his "hero".[29]

Gian van Veen hit two 144 checkouts and added a 160 finish on his way to beating Krzysztof Ratajski 10–6, exacting revenge for a loss to Ratajski at the European Darts Open the week prior. "Everyone knows I have been struggling the last few months, and I just needed that win today," said Van Veen in his post-match interview. "To go deep here would mean so much confidence for myself going into the back end of this year."[32] Wessel Nijman, the winner of eight PDC titles in 2026 heading into the tournament, set up a meeting with Van Veen by defeating Dave Chisnall 10–5.[31] The 2007 champion James Wade began his 21st consecutive World Matchplay campaign with a 10–7 win over Jermaine Wattimena.[31] Wade branded his performance as "rubbish" and claimed he was "really, really lucky", explaining that he had to slow himself down rather than play to Wattimena's pace on his way to victory.[32] Irish debutant William O'Connor reduced a 6–1 deficit to 8–6 in his match with Ryan Searle, but Searle claimed the last two legs to win 10–6.[32]
Cameron Menzies produced an upset victory to achieve his first win at the World Matchplay, defeating the 2024 champion and world number two Luke Humphries 10–7. Humphries, who was unable to hold his throw in the first six legs that he started, trailed Menzies 8–3 before winning four consecutive legs to reduce the gap to 8–7. However, Menzies won the last two legs, finishing the match with a 170 checkout.[33][34] "No one gave me hope. I didn't give myself hope but I finally won a game at the Winter Gardens," said the victorious Scot, who called it the "best moment of my darts career".[34][35] The 2021 world champion Gerwyn Price overcame deficits of 4–0 and 6–2 against Martin Schindler to go ahead for the first time at 9–8, but Schindler converted a 121 finish to take the match to a tie-break. Price sealed a 11–9 comeback win with a 100 checkout to hand Schindler his fifth consecutive World Matchplay defeat.[36] Price admitted the match was one he "should have lost", saying that his confidence levels were down due to a lack of playing time.[37] Despite averaging 104.19, the highest for a debuting player at the World Matchplay, Dutch debutant Kevin Doets suffered a 10–6 loss to Ross Smith, who averaged above the 100 mark himself while hitting 56 per cent of his doubles.[36] The 2019 champion Rob Cross was triumphant in the first round's final match, eliminating tenth seed Danny Noppert in a 10–3 victory. Cross was one of three unseeded players to reach the second round, alongside Van Duijvenbode and Menzies.[33]
Second round

The second round (best of 21 legs) were played on 21 and 22 July.[38] Luke Littler started his match with Nathan Aspinall by hitting a nine-dart finish in the opening leg. The 11th nine-darter in World Matchplay history, he completed the perfect leg with a 141 checkout on double 15.[39] The defending champion attempted his second nine-darter of the match in the fourth leg, but missed double 15 with his final dart. Despite this, Aspinall kept the match close and found himself level at 7–7. Littler won the next three legs to go one away from victory, but Aspinall converted a dramatic 170 checkout to prolong the contest and reduce the gap to two legs. Littler finally won the match 11–8, recording 14 maximums and a three-dart average of 113.68, the second-highest in tournament history behind Phil Taylor's 114.99 during the 2010 edition.[40][41] Littler commented that it was "gutting" to not hit two nine-darters in the same match, while Aspinall called it the "most enjoyable game of darts" he had been involved in.[42] Josh Rock set up a meeting with Littler in the next round by defeating Stephen Bunting 11–6, winning the final leg with a 140 checkout. Rock described the match as "one of the toughest games of my life" due to Bunting being one of his best friends on the professional tour.[38]
Dirk van Duijvenbode took an 8–4 lead against Dutch compatriot Michael van Gerwen, but the three-time champion evened the match at 10–10. Taken to his second tie-break of the tournament, Van Duijvenbode secured a 14–12 victory to defeat the fourth seed.[40] "Michael [van Gerwen] came back because I started shaking. Completely afraid like a little child crying for his mum, and I'm just happy in the end that I won it," said Van Duijvenbode, who progressed to his second World Matchplay quarter-final.[38] Van Gerwen's exit saw him drop to number seven in the PDC World Rankings by the end of the tournament, marking his first time outside of the world's top four since January 2013.[43] Gary Anderson overcame a slow start against Jonny Clayton, going 4–1 behind before completing a 11–7 win to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in six years.[41]
During the fourth leg of the match between Ross Smith and Cameron Menzies, in which the latter led 2–1, Menzies became unwell and was helped off the stage by Smith and the match officials. In a statement, the PDC revealed that Menzies experienced high blood pressure, leading to him feeling dizzy and subsequently fainting. Although he was deemed well enough to return to his accommodation, the match was abandoned and Smith was awarded a place in the quarter-finals.[44] After losing the first session 3–2, Gerwyn Price won six consecutive legs to take an 8–3 lead against Rob Cross, eventually prevailing 11–5 to progress to a quarter-final meeting with Smith.[45]
Entering a tie-break against fellow Dutchman Gian van Veen, Wessel Nijman went 11–10 ahead and left 64 to triumph, only for Van Veen to hit a 148 checkout and level the match. Following a break of throw, Van Veen secured a 14–12 victory to end Nijman's hopes of a maiden major quarter-final.[46] James Wade was the last player to confirm a place in the last eight, defeating Ryan Searle 11–8 to advance to his 14th World Matchplay quarter-final.[45]
Quarter-finals

The quarter-finals (best of 31 legs) were played on 23 and 24 July.[47] Much like his second-round match with Michael van Gerwen, Dirk van Duijvenbode started the first quarter-final by taking an initial 8–4 lead against Gary Anderson. He established an eight-leg buffer at 14–6 and went one leg away from victory at 15–8. Anderson then staged a comeback by winning five consecutive legs, including a 154 checkout. However, Van Duijvenbode hit double 10 in the 29th leg to complete a 16–13 victory.[48][49] In his post-match interview, the unseeded Dutchman highlighted Anderson's willingness to never give up and said "when he's hitting his trebles, he is one of the very best in the world", also adding that he felt nerves in his stomach during the contest.[47]
In the second quarter-final, Luke Littler faced Josh Rock in a rematch of their 2025 semi-final. The match was closely contested for the first 10 legs as the pair found themselves level at 5–5, but Littler won five legs in a row to enter the third interval with a 10–5 lead, later extending this advantage to 12–5. At 15–7, Rock missed five darts at double to keep the match alive, allowing Littler to pin double 10 to beat the Northern Irishman 16–7.[48][49][50] Littler, who achieved his third consecutive average above 109, hit 17 maximums and converted 53 per cent of his doubles, while Rock averaged 101.24 in defeat.[47] "I feel really good up on the stage. Preparations beforehand have gone really well, just relaxing, playing and relaxing again," said Littler afterwards. "As long as I can keep it up, I'm sure I will dominate. Next game, let's get it back up to the 113s [averages]."[51]
Gerwyn Price won each of the first four sessions of his match with Ross Smith by a 3–2 scoreline, entering the final session with a 12–8 lead.[52] Although Smith drew level by claiming the next four legs in succession, Price closed the match with his own four-leg run that included a 121 checkout on the bullseye and a 91 checkout for an 11-dart break of throw, culminating in a 16–12 win.[53] "For him to get back to 12–12, I thought 'here we go again', but thankfully I rode off four legs on the bounce," commented Price afterwards.[53]
In the last quarter-final, Gian van Veen and James Wade endured a slow start to their match, interrupted by Van Veen converting a 160 checkout to go 9–6 ahead.[54] From 11–7, Wade won four consecutive legs, including a 121 checkout, to even the score at 11–11. Van Veen hit a 118 checkout for a 14–12 lead, but Wade immediately responded with another 121 finish. This ended up being Wade's last leg of the contest, as Van Veen completed a 16–13 victory—a reversal of Wade's 16–13 win over Van Veen the previous year—to progress to the semi-finals.[53][54] The Dutch victor called the match a "tight battle" and hoped for a better performance in the semi-finals, insisting that his finishing got him through the tie.[55]
Semi-finals

The semi-finals (best of 33 legs) were played on 25 July.[56] Gerwyn Price and Luke Littler both contested their second World Matchplay semi-final; Price last reached the final four when he finished as runner-up at the 2022 edition,[52] while Littler reached his first semi-final on his way to winning the title in 2025.[57] They faced first-time semi-finalists Gian van Veen and Dirk van Duijvenbode, respectively.[48][53]
In the first semi-final, Price found a break of throw in the opening leg and hit a 125 checkout to take a 4–1 lead.[58] He extended this lead to 6–1 before Van Veen won four consecutive legs to reduce the gap to 6–5.[56] Entering the final session with an 11–9 advantage, Price took the next four legs in a row to establish a comfortable 15–9 buffer, eventually securing a 17–10 victory.[59][58] The match was marked by frustrations when it came to finishing, with both players missing 23 darts at double.[58][60] The win meant that Price was guaranteed to rise to number four in the PDC World Rankings, overtaking Jonny Clayton to reclaim his position as the Welsh number one. In his post-match interview, Price stated that he was happy to be in the final after six months of not playing as much darts as he should have, and joked that he was more happy to be Welsh number one, calling it a "one up on my buddy Jonny [Clayton]".[56][60]
In the second semi-final, Littler went 4–1 ahead in the first session, soon extending this lead to 8–2 as he threatened Phil Taylor's single-match average record, averaging 117.10 up to that point.[58][60] Van Duijvenbode responded with a 146 checkout in the next leg, but Littler later converted a 130 finish to go 12–3 in front.[56] He entered the final interval with a 16–4 lead, only needing one leg to prevail. Van Duijvenbode was able to take the match to a 22nd leg, where Littler completed a 17–5 win.[59][60] The defending champion finished the match with a three-dart average of 110.88, his fourth consecutive average above the 109 mark, as well as 16 maximums and a 50 per cent success rate on his doubles.[56] "I saw the average on the screen at one point of 117, but it was another good performance, and it [the average] keeps going up," said Littler after the match. On his semi-final opponent, Littler commented: "I said to Dirk [van Duijvenbode] 'well played', it was a good tournament for himself, he has made it to a major semi-final, so full credit to him."[59]
Final

The final (best of 35 legs) between top seed Luke Littler and seventh seed Gerwyn Price was played on 26 July.[61] Defending champion Littler contested his second straight World Matchplay final,[56] while Price reached his second final after his first in 2022, where he lost 18–14 to Michael van Gerwen.[62] It also marked Price's first major ranking final since 2023.[63] Heading into the contest, Littler had won his last nine matches against Price, last suffering a defeat to the Welshman at the 2026 Bahrain Darts Masters.[58][63] Discussing a potential meeting with Littler in the final, Price previously stated that he thought he could be the player to get to Littler's level, saying that other players "make it a little bit too easy for him" by letting him play to his rhythm.[64] "I really believe that if I hit my A-game, it doesn't matter who I play, I'm winning, simple as that," said Price after his semi-final win, before telling people not to underestimate him in the final.[63] Following his victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode, Littler recounted "great games" against Price at the 2025 World Grand Prix and during the 2026 Premier League, concluding: "I think Gezzy [Price] will want to get me into a roaring battle tomorrow, but as long as I can get into the lead, I'll be happy."[56]

Littler established a 4–1 lead in the final's opening session, including a 167 checkout, which was his first bullseye finish of the tournament.[65] From 7–3 in front, Littler completed the next four legs in a total of 47 darts, hitting checkouts of 128 and 127 on his way to an 11–3 lead.[61] Price won six of the next 10 legs to cut the gap to 15–9. Littler then converted a 148 checkout, his sixth and final ton-plus finish of the match, followed by a break of throw. He completed an 18–9 victory, his 10th consecutive win against Price, with an 81 checkout on the bullseye.[61][65] Littler finished the final with a three-dart average of 111.53, setting a new record for the highest average in a World Matchplay final, beating Phil Taylor's 111.23 average in the 2013 final.[66] He hit 12 maximums to take his total count for the tournament to 66, improving on his record of 64 from the previous year.[67] Price averaged 104.92 in defeat, which became the second-highest losing average in a World Matchplay final.[61]
Littler won his second World Matchplay title and his 14th PDC major singles title.[67] The 19-year-old continued his streak of claiming ranking major titles in 2026, having already won the World Championship, World Masters, and the UK Open, along with the unranked Premier League and World Cup.[61][66] He became the fourth player to retain the title, after Rod Harrington, Taylor, and Van Gerwen, as well the first to achieve the feat since Van Gerwen in 2016.[66][68] He finished the competition with an overall tournament average of 111.04, surpassing Taylor's 106.31 mark in 2010 as the highest winning tournament average in World Matchplay history.[61][65][67] Littler's run to the final resulted in him becoming the first player to pass £3 million in the PDC World Rankings; he received the top prize of £225,000 for the victory, taking his total ranking to £3,143,500.[66] Speaking after the final, Littler called his World Matchplay campaign "one of the best weeks of [his] life" where he "played some of the best darts of [his] life".[69] He discussed the possibility of winning all PDC major titles in 2026, reiterating his promise to participate in Pro Tour events in order to qualify for the Players Championship Finals in November. "I don't think my dad's too happy because we were going to go to Spain and I think we've got to go to Leicester now and play some Pro Tours, but it is what it is," he said.[66] Speaking in defeat, Price praised his final opponent, calling him "one in a million" and someone who is "fantastic for this sport". "I hope there is nobody else like him coming through, because he is ridiculous," he added.[65]
Schedule
The event was held over nine days from 18 July to the date of the final on Sunday, 26 July. The tournament schedule was announced on 12 July.[70] The figures to the right of a player's name state their three-dart average in a match. Players in bold denote match winners.[71]
| Match # | Round | Player 1 | Scor | Player 2 | Break 1 | Break 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 1 | 10 – 4 | 3 – 2 | 8 – 2 | ||
| 02 | 13 – 12 | 3 – 2 | 6 – 4 | |||
| 03 | 10 – 6 | 2 – 3 | 5 – 5 | |||
| 04 | 10 – 5 | 3 – 2 | 6 – 4 |
| Match # | Round | Player 1 | Score | Player 2 | Break 1 | Break 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | 1 | 11 – 13 | 3 – 2 | 4 – 6 | ||
| 06 | 10 – 2 | 4 – 1 | 8 – 2 | |||
| 07 | 10 – 6 | 1 – 4 | 5 – 5 | |||
| 08 | 10 – 7 | 3 – 2 | 7 – 3 | |||
| 09 | 10 – 6 | 4 – 1 | 7 – 3 | |||
| 10 | 10 – 7 | 4 – 1 | 6 – 4 | |||
| 11 | 10 – 6 | 3 – 2 | 7 – 3 | |||
| 12 | 10 – 5 | 4 – 1 | 7 – 3 |
| Match # | Round | Player 1 | Score | Player 2 | Break 1 | Break 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | 10 – 6 | 5 – 0 | 6 – 4 | ||
| 14 | 11 – 9 | 1 – 4 | 4 – 6 | |||
| 15 | 7 – 10 | 2 – 3 | 3 – 7 | |||
| 16 | 3 – 10 | 0 – 5 | 2 – 8 |
| Match # | Round | Player 1 | Score | Player 2 | Break 1 | Break 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 2 | 7 – 11 | 4 – 1 | 4 – 6 | ||
| 18 | 12 – 14 | 3 – 2 | 4 – 6 | |||
| 19 | 11 – 8 | 3 – 2 | 6 – 4 | |||
| 20 | 11 – 6 | 2 – 3 | 6 – 4 |
| Match # | Round | Player 1 | Score | Player 2 | Break 1 | Break 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 2 | w/o[a] | N/a | |||
| 22 | 14 – 12 | 4 – 1 | 5 – 5 | |||
| 23 | 11 – 5 | 2 – 3 | 7 – 3 | |||
| 24 | 11 – 8 | 3 – 2 | 5 – 5 | |||
| Match # | Round | Player 1 | Score | Player 2 | Break 1 | Break 2 | Break 3 | Break 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | QF | 16 – 13 | 4 – 1 | 7 – 3 | 9 – 6 | 14 – 6 | ||
| 26 | 16 – 7 | 3 – 2 | 5 – 5 | 10 – 5 | 13 – 7 |
| Match # | Round | Player 1 | Score | Player 2 | Break 1 | Break 2 | Break 3 | Break 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | QF | 12 – 16 | 2 – 3 | 4 – 6 | 6 – 9 | 8 – 12 | ||
| 28 | 16 – 13 | 3 – 2 | 6 – 4 | 9 – 6 | 11 – 9 |
| Match # | Round | Player 1 | Score | Player 2 | Break 1 | Break 2 | Break 3 | Break 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | SF | 17 – 10 | 4 – 1 | 6 – 4 | 9 – 6 | 11 – 9 | ||
| 30 | 17 – 5 | 4 – 1 | 8 – 2 | 12 – 3 | 16 – 4 |
| Match # | Round | Player 1 | Score | Player 2 | Break 1 | Break 2 | Break 3 | Break 4 | Break 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | F | 18 – 9 | 4 – 1 | 7 – 3 | 11 – 4 | 14 – 6 | 16 – 9 |
Draw
The draw was announced on 9 July.[72] Numbers to the left of players' names show the seedings for the top 16 in the tournament.[71]
| First round (best of 19 legs) 18–20 July | Second round (best of 21 legs) 21–22 July | Quarter-finals (best of 31 legs) 23–24 July | Semi-finals (best of 33 legs) 25 July | Final (best of 35 legs) 26 July | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [a] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | w/o | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes
References
- 1 2 "World Matchplay 2026". mastercaller.com. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ↑ Hammer, Chris (4 July 2020). "World Matchplay will take place behind closed doors in Milton Keynes instead of Blackpool's Winter Gardens". Sporting Life. Archived from the original on 10 July 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ↑ Phipps, Toby; Austwicke, Jack; Caffry, Liam (17 October 2024). "Larry Butler, Scott Waites and the moments which have shocked darts". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ↑ Gorton, Josh (28 July 2019). "Who will join the World Matchplay roll of honour?". Sky Sports. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ↑ "Phil Taylor trophy introduced for World Matchplay in Blackpool". Sky Sports. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ↑ "Women's World Matchplay: PDC to stage first televised women's event in Blackpool". BBC Sport. 1 February 2022. Archived from the original on 10 June 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ↑ "Women's World Matchplay: PDC announces first televised women's darts tournament, to be shown live on Sky Sports". Sky Sports. 3 February 2022. Archived from the original on 10 June 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ↑ Drury, Sam (26 July 2026). "Greaves wins Women's Matchplay in last-leg decider". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Betfred World Matchplay: Luke Littler out to win back-to-back titles as field confirmed for £1m boosted event". Sky Sports. 8 July 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ Simpson, Will (17 July 2026). "2026 Betfred World Matchplay preview". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Hardy, Matt (18 July 2025). "World Matchplay: Darts event extends deal with sponsor Betfred". City AM. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ Cartwright, Phil (27 July 2025). "Littler beats Wade in superb World Matchplay final". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 27 July 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ Blanche, Phil (27 July 2025). "Luke Littler beats James Wade to win first World Matchplay crown in Blackpool". The Independent. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 Colman, Jonty (16 July 2026). "World Matchplay Darts 2026 - Schedule, draw and prize money". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- 1 2 "World Matchplay Darts 2026: Blackpool dates, draw, format, favourites and prize money for tournament at Winter Gardens". Sky Sports. 12 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Phillips, Josh (31 March 2025). "Biggest prize money increase in PDC history confirmed". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ "World Matchplay 2025". mastercaller.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ Gorton, Josh (18 July 2026). "Where to watch the 2026 Betfred World Matchplay". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ "ESPN to broadcast PDC events in USA". Professional Darts Corporation. 25 June 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Gorton, Josh (1 July 2026). "2026 Players Championships 23-24 Player entries confirmed". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Simpson, Will (7 July 2026). "2026 Betfred World Matchplay field confirmed". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ Walsh, Alex (2 July 2026). "Big names set to miss the 2026 World Matchplay of Darts". The Sporting News. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ James, Brandon (7 July 2026). "Daryl Gurney misses World Matchplay Qualification on final day". Darts Planet TV. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ Gorton, Josh (15 July 2026). "Wade bidding to repeat former glories on Winter Gardens anniversary". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ Gorton, Josh (18 July 2026). "Imperious Littler sets up Aspinall showdown in Blackpool". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- ↑ Battison, Paul (18 July 2026). "Littler starts World Matchplay defence with Springer win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
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- ↑ "Luke Littler wins World Matchplay opener after 'annoying' setback". RTÉ Sport. Press Association. 18 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
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- ↑ Battison, Paul (19 July 2026). "Anderson thrashes Joyce at World Matchplay". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
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- 1 2 Drury, Sam (20 July 2026). "Humphries suffers shock first-round exit at Matchplay". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- 1 2 "'My biggest win' — Luke Humphries exits World Matchplay after first-round loss to an in-form Cameron Menzies". Irish Independent. 21 July 2026. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "World Matchplay Darts: Cameron Menzies dubs Luke Humphries win 'biggest moment of career' eight months after hand surgery". Sky Sports. 21 July 2026. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- 1 2 Simpson, Will (20 July 2026). "Menzies slays Humphries to bag first World Matchplay win". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ Mirza, Raz (21 July 2026). "World Matchplay Darts: Luke Humphries shocked by Cameron Menzies in first round at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool". Sky Sports. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 Simpson, Will (21 July 2026). "Nine-dart hero Littler wins Winter Gardens thriller against Aspinall". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
- ↑ Schamburg, Julius (21 July 2026). "9-Darter! Littler begeistert" [9-darter! Littler impresses]. Sport1 (in German). Retrieved 22 July 2026.
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- ↑ Wellens, Megan (22 July 2026). "Luke Littler: Did world No 1 know sensational Matchplay nine-darter was coming? How close is he to being the greatest ever?". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
- ↑ Simpson, Will (28 July 2026). "PDC Werner Rankings Ladder update after World Matchplay". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- 1 2 "World Matchplay Darts: Cameron Menzies withdraws after becoming unwell on stage during second-round match against Ross Smith". Sky Sports. 22 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
- 1 2 Coates, Charlotte (22 July 2026). "Menzies taken ill on stage at World Matchplay". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
- ↑ Wellens, Megan (22 July 2026). "World Matchplay Darts: Gerwyn Price, Gian van Veen, James Wade through to quarter-finals after Cameron Menzies withdraws through illness". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 Simpson, Will (23 July 2026). "Littler mesmerises again to set up Van Duijvenbode semi-final". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 Snelson, Flora (23 July 2026). "Littler cruises into Matchplay semis with win over Rock". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- 1 2 Wellens, Megan (24 July 2026). "World Matchplay Darts: Luke Littler blows Josh Rock away and Dirk van Duijvenbode wins thriller against Gary Anderson to set up semi-final showdown". Sky Sports. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ McKendry, Adam (23 July 2026). "Josh Rock produces best World Matchplay performance but still bows out as Luke Littler dazzles again". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ Wellens, Megan (24 July 2026). "Luke Littler dazzles in Blackpool as frightening World Darts Matchplay form continues: 'Good luck to Dirk...'". Sky Sports. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- 1 2 Gorton, Josh (24 July 2026). "Van Veen defies Wade onslaught to set up Price semi-final". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Stafford, Ali (25 July 2026). "World Matchplay Darts: Gian van Veen edges past James Wade to book semi-final showdown with Gerwyn Price in Blackpool". Sky Sports. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Gian van Veen holds off James Wade to reach World Matchplay semi-finals at Blackpool". RTÉ Sport. Press Association. 24 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Abraham, Timothy (24 July 2026). "Price beats Smith to reach Matchplay semi-finals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Simpson, Will (25 July 2026). "Magnificent Littler sets up World Matchplay final against Price". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ Botcherby, Elizabeth (25 July 2025). "Littler 'finds rhythm' to set up Rock semi-final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Matthews, Callum (25 July 2026). "Littler sets up Price final at World Matchplay". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
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- ↑ Price, Siân (24 July 2022). "Michael Van Gerwen beats Wales' Gerwyn Price to win third World Matchplay title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 Stafford, Ali (26 July 2026). "World Matchplay Darts: Luke Littler closes on Blackpool history as Gerwyn Price targets shock victory over world No 1". Sky Sports. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ Stafford, Ali (25 July 2026). "World Matchplay darts: Gerwyn Price issues title warning to 'ruthless' Luke Littler after reaching Blackpool semi-finals". Sky Sports. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Stafford, Ali (26 July 2026). "World Matchplay Darts: Luke Littler thrashes Gerwyn Price 18-9 to defend title with record-breaking display in Blackpool". Sky Sports. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Matthews, Callum (26 July 2026). "Littler wins Matchplay and smashes Taylor record". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 Hammer, Chris (26 July 2026). "The highest winning tournament averages of all time as Luke Littler goes in at number two behind Phil Taylor with record-breaking World Matchplay win". Sporting Life. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ Parker, Ian (26 July 2026). "Clean sweep? Luke Littler adds World Matchplay to World Championship, UK Open, Premier League and Masters haul". Irish Independent. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ "Luke Littler hails World Matchplay defence as one of the 'best weeks of his life' after historic Gerwyn Price victory". Sky Sports. 26 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Betfred World Matchplay schedule - Littler to headline opening day". Professional Darts Corporation. 12 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Results of World Matchplay 2026". Mastercaller. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- ↑ "Betfred World Matchplay 2026: Luke Littler faces Niko Springer, Luke Humphries takes on Cameron Menzies as draw confirmed". Sky Sports. 9 July 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
