Luke Littler will defend his World Matchplay title in the 2026 edition, facing Niko Springer in the opening round of the tournament, live on Sky Sports from July 18–26 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. The 19-year-old stunned the darts world last year by overcoming James Wade 18–13 in a dramatic final, rebounding from a 5–0 deficit to secure his place in history as the fifth player to achieve the Triple Crown. A consecutive victory would mark him as the first champion since Michael van Gerwen in 2015 to defend his crown in Blackpool.
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Second-seeded Luke Humphries opens against Cameron Menzies, while Michael van Gerwen faces high-in-form Andrew Gilding. Other standout clashes include Nathan Aspinall versus Joe Cullen, Josh Rock versus Luke Woodhouse, and Jonny Clayton versus Damon Heta.
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The tournament features the top 16 players from the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder and the best 16 from the one-year ProTour rankings. Prize funds for the 2026 event total £1 million, with the champion set to receive £225,000.
Draw
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(1) Luke Littler v Niko Springer
(16) Nathan Aspinall v Joe Cullen
(8) Josh Rock v Luke Woodhouse
(9) Stephen Bunting v Niels Zonneveld
(4) Michael van Gerwen v Andrew Gilding
(13) Chris Dobey v Dirk van Duijvenbode
(5) Jonny Clayton v Damon Heta
(12) Gary Anderson v Ryan Joyce
(2) Luke Humphries v Cameron Menzies
(15) Ross Smith v Kevin Doets
(7) Gerwyn Price v Martin Schindler
(10) Danny Noppert v Rob Cross
(3) Gian van Veen in Krzysztof Ratajska
(14) Wessel Nijman v Dave Chisnall
(6) James Wade v Jermaine Wattimena
(11) Ryan Searle v William O’Connor
Top 16 qualifiers from the Werner Ladder
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1. Luke Littler
2. Luke Humphries
3. Gian van Veen
4. Michael van Gerwen
5. Jonny Clayton
6. James Wade
7. Gerwyn Price
8. Josh Rock
9. Stephen Bunting
10. Danny Noppert
11. Ryan Searle
12. Gary Anderson
13. Chris Dobey
14. Wessel Nijman
15. Ross Smith
16. Nathan Aspinall
Top 16 Qualifiers from ProTour Rankings
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Luke Woodhouse
Jermaine Wattimena
Kevin Doets
Andrew Gilding
Rob Cross
Krzysztof Ratajski
William O’Connor
Niko Springer
Niels Zonneveld
Martin Schindler
Ryan Joyce
Dirk van Duijvenbode
Cameron Menzies
Joe Cullen
Damon Heta
Dave Chisnall
When is the World Matchplay live on Sky Sports?
The World Matchplay begins on Saturday, July 18 and concludes on Sunday, July 26. All nine days of competition will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with the opening day coverage starting at 7pm on Sky Sports+.
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