World Matchplay Darts 2026 took place from Saturday, July 18 to Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Winter Gardens, Blackpool, England. The famous PDC championship attracted such greats as the defending champion Luke Littler, as well as previous World Matchplay winners Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, James Wade and Rob Cross, along with some up-and-coming talents.
Luke Littler retained his champion status, beating Gerwyn Price 18-9 in the final match. It became only one of several occasions when a player won the World Matchplay in successive years in its long history.
World Matchplay Darts Schedule 2026
The tournament was divided into four stages: the first round, second round, quarter-finals and semi-finals, before the final was played on July 26.
| Stage | Date | Session time |
|---|---|---|
| First round | Saturday, July 18 | 7:00 p.m. BST |
| First round | Sunday, July 19 | 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. BST |
| First round | Monday, July 20 | 7:00 p.m. BST |
| Second round | Tuesday, July 21 | 7:00 p.m. BST |
| Second round | Wednesday, July 22 | 7:00 p.m. BST |
| Quarter-finals | Thursday, July 23 | Around 8:00 p.m. BST |
| Quarter-finals | Friday, July 24 | Around 8:00 p.m. BST |
| Semi-finals | Saturday, July 25 | Around 8:00 p.m. BST |
| Final | Sunday, July 26 | Around 8:00 p.m. BST |
For those viewing from India, the night matches used to commence much later at night since the time difference between BST and IST was 4 hours and 30 minutes. A match scheduled for 7:00 p.m. BST would start at about 11:30 p.m. IST, whereas a match scheduled for 8:00 p.m. BST would commence at around 12:30 a.m. IST.
The actual timings of the matches used to vary according to the length of the previous matches played.
First-Round Schedule and Results
The first round had 16 games that took place during four sessions. The first round games lasted longer than the first round in most other PDC tournaments, providing the players enough time to come up after having an off-start.
Saturday, July 18
The first session started at 7:00 pm BST and involved defending champion Luke Littler, Nathan Aspinall, Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock.
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Match | Result |
| Josh Rock vs Luke Woodhouse | Josh Rock won 10–4 |
| Stephen Bunting vs Niels Zonneveld | Stephen Bunting won 13–12 |
| Luke Littler vs Niko Springer | Luke Littler won 10–6 |
| Nathan Aspinall vs Joe Cullen | Nathan Aspinall won 10–5 |
Littler started off well as he won 10–6 against Niko Springer. Even though Springer showed great potential, Littler, who is the defending champion, managed to secure the match at the crucial points and thus advanced to the next round.
The closest game in this session saw Stephen Bunting defeating Niels Zonneveld 13–12. The game went all the way to the last leg.
Sunday, July 19 – Afternoon Session
The afternoon session included three-time champion Michael van Gerwen and former world champion Gary Anderson.
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Chris Dobey vs Dirk van Duijvenbode | Dirk van Duijvenbode won 13–11 |
| Gary Anderson vs Ryan Joyce | Gary Anderson won 10–2 |
| Michael van Gerwen vs Andrew Gilding | Michael van Gerwen won 10–6 |
| Jonny Clayton vs Damon Heta | Jonny Clayton won 10–7 |
The greatest performance in the first round came from Gary Anderson as he defeated Ryan Joyce 10-2. Michael van Gerwen made progress to the next round following his 10-6 victory against Andrew Gilding.
Dirk van Duijvenbode created an upset in the tournament when he beat Chris Dobey 13-11. The Dutchman kept calm at the end of the match to make it to the last 16.
Sunday, July 19 – Evening Session
The second Sunday session featured experienced players such as James Wade and Ryan Searle, along with young Dutchman Gian van Veen.
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Ryan Searle vs William O’Connor | Ryan Searle won 10–6 |
| James Wade vs Jermaine Wattimena | James Wade won 10–7 |
| Gian van Veen vs Krzysztof Ratajski | Gian van Veen won 10–6 |
| Wessel Nijman vs Dave Chisnall | Wessel Nijman won 10–8 |
Ex-World Matchplay winner James Wade beat Jermaine Wattimena 10-7. Gian van Veen showed his improvement in big events by defeating Krzysztof Ratajski, a professional player from Poland.
Wessel Nijman won his match against Dave Chisnall 10-8, which helped him to build his reputation as one of the most promising players in the PDC tour.
Monday, July 20
This last day of the first round had several big names playing their matches.
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Luke Humphries vs Cameron Menzies | Cameron Menzies won 10–7 |
| Gerwyn Price vs Martin Schindler | Gerwyn Price won 11–9 |
| Rob Cross vs Danny Noppert | Rob Cross won 10–3 |
| Ross Smith vs Kevin Doets | Ross Smith won 10–6 |
The biggest surprise of the day occurred when Cameron Menzies defeated the former world champion Luke Humphries 10–7. The player who was considered one of the most promising candidates for the trophy had problems with achieving the same level of scoring as usual.
Gerwyn Price narrowly won against Martin Schindler with the score of 11–9. Rob Cross, the 2019 World Matchplay champion, played successfully and won against Danny Noppert 10–3.
Second-Round Schedule and Results
The second round took place in two evening rounds on Tuesday, July 21 and Wednesday, July 22. Here, the matches got lengthier, and pressure increased as each and every error could influence the outcome more.
Tuesday, July 21
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Match | Result |
| Jonny Clayton vs Gary Anderson | Gary Anderson won 11–7 |
| Michael van Gerwen vs Dirk van Duijvenbode | Dirk van Duijvenbode won 14–12 |
| Luke Littler vs Nathan Aspinall | Luke Littler won 11–8 |
| Josh Rock vs Stephen Bunting | Josh Rock won 11–6 |
Anderson beat Clayton 11–7 to book his place in the quarter-finals. Van Duijvenbode continued his impressive form as he beat Michael van Gerwen 14–12 in another good match.
Littler had a tough task against Nathan Aspinall but came out victorious 11–8. Finally, Josh Rock wrapped up the results with a 11–6 win over Stephen Bunting.
Wednesday, July 22
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Cameron Menzies vs Ross Smith | Cameron Menzies advanced after a walkover |
| Gian van Veen vs Wessel Nijman | Gian van Veen won 14–12 |
| Gerwyn Price vs Rob Cross | Gerwyn Price won 11–5 |
| James Wade vs Ryan Searle | James Wade won 11–8 |
Menzies advanced to the quarter-finals after his opponent, Ross Smith, pulled out of their encounter. Van Veen won by winning 14-12 against Nijman, and Gerwyn Price was comfortable with 11-5 against Rob Cross.
Wade joined others in the quarter-finals coming from the lower part of the draw, having defeated Ryan Searle 11-8.
Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, and Finals
The quarter-finals took two days, with the rest of the players playing for four semi-final spots. This time the games were longer and required more focus and consistency from the players.
Quarter-Final Results
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Luke Littler vs Josh Rock | Luke Littler won 16–7 |
| Gary Anderson vs Dirk van Duijvenbode | Dirk van Duijvenbode won 16–11 |
| Gerwyn Price vs Cameron Menzies | Gerwyn Price won 16–12 |
| Gian van Veen vs James Wade | Gian van Veen won 16–12 |
Luke Littler showed no signs of slowing down as he beat Josh Rock 16–7. The reigning champion put in an excellent scoring display and gave his opponent very few opportunities to gain confidence.
Dirk van Duijvenbode kept up his excellent form with a 16–11 defeat of Gary Anderson. His performances were one of the key stories at the event.
Gerwyn Price saw off the surprising run of Cameron Menzies with a 16–12 victory. Gian van Veen made it through to the quarter-finals with a 16–12 defeat of James Wade.
Semi-Final Results
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Luke Littler vs Gian van Veen | Luke Littler won 17–5 |
| Gerwyn Price vs Dirk van Duijvenbode | Gerwyn Price won 17–9 |
Littler proved too much for Gian van Veen, beating him by a score of 17-5 in the first semi-final. The reigning champion exhibited a superb scoring display and hardly ever let his opponent gain any momentum.
In the second semi-final, Gerwyn Price beat Dirk van Duijvenbode with a score of 17-9 to advance to the final against the reigning champion.
World Matchplay Final Result
| Final | Result |
|---|---|
| Luke Littler vs Gerwyn Price | Luke Littler won 18–9 |
Luke Littler won the title by defeating Gerwyn Price in the final 18-9 to defend his World Matchplay crown. Littler had full control of the match right from the beginning and also played at a high tournament average in order to win the title.
The win helped Luke add one more title to his very successful career. Gerwyn Price lost in the final despite putting up a good performance in Blackpool.
Venue, Format and Prize Money
The 2026 World Matchplay Darts took place in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, England. It involved 32 players who competed in a single-elimination event where the game is played by legs and not sets.
| Round | Format |
|---|---|
| First round | Best of 19 legs |
| Second round | Best of 21 legs |
| Quarter-finals | Best of 31 legs |
| Semi-finals | Best of 33 legs |
| Final | Best of 35 legs |
Players were required to win by two legs. In case there was no clear winner in spite of extra legs allowed, then a single-leg tiebreaker would decide the winner of the match.
A total of £1 million was available for prize money, where the winner won £225,000, runner-up £125,000, semi-finalists £65,000, quarter-finalists £35,000, second round losers £22,500, and first round losers £12,500.
How to Watch World Matchplay Darts
In the UK and Ireland, the tournament was aired live on Sky Sports. Other countries would be able to watch this through the official PDC broadcasting partners. Fans can also refer to the official PDC tournament coverage site to see live scores, match statistics, and finished match results.
For fans in India, most of the evening sessions started late at night or just past midnight. It is suggested to always look up the local television guide ahead of time as the time of the matches is dependent on the duration of previous matches.
The best method of checking for a future World Matchplay schedule is to visit the official PDC website just before the tournament starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the World Matchplay Darts 2026 take place?
The 2026 World Matchplay was played between July 18 and July 26 in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
Who won the World Matchplay Darts 2026?
Luke Littler won the tournament after beating Gerwyn Price 18-9 in the final.
Which player was the defending champion?
Luke Littler was the defending champion who won the matchplay tournament once again.
How many players participated?
There were 32 participants in the men’s World Matchplay.
Where was the World Matchplay held?
The World Matchplay took place in the Winter Gardens, Blackpool.
When will the next World Matchplay take place?
The World Matchplay is usually held in July in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. It is recommended to check the official PDC calendar for accurate dates of the next World Matchplay.
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