World Matchplay Darts 2026 - Schedule, draw and prize money

The 2026 World Matchplay Darts starts on Saturday, 18 July at Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

The 32-player event is one of the Professional Darts Corporation’s (PDC) eight major events of the darting calendar.

Luke Littler is the defending champion after winning the Phil Taylor Trophy 12 months ago. The teenage world number one has also won the first three majors in 2026.

There is also a women’s event played on the final day of the tournament on Sunday, 26 July. Lisa Ashton is the reigning champion following a win over Fallon Sherrock in last year’s final.

Here is everything you need to know on the format, draw and prize money.

How does the World Matchplay work?

The tournament consists of 32 players. They are made up of the 16 highest-ranked players from the PDC’s Order of Merit and the 16 best players from this year’s ProTour Order of Merit who had not yet qualified.

The draw has been seeded, with the top 16-ranked players all kept apart in the opening round.

In the women’s tournament, the best eight players from the Women’s Series tour qualify.

Both competitions are straight knockout events, meaning winners progress and losers are eliminated.

The tournament is played in legs rather than sets. The number of required to win a match increases after every round in the mixed competition and increases after the semi-finals for the women’s competition.

Victories are by two clear legs, with a sudden death leg to be used in the event that the two players cannot be separated after a certain number of legs.

World Matchplay format

• 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)

Women’s World Matchplay format

• Quarter-finals: Best of 9 legs
• Semi-finals: Best of 9 legs
• Final: Best of 11 legs

What is the prize money?

For the World Matchplay competition, the prize money has increased by £200,000 in total to £1m. In 2025, the total prize pot was at £800,000.

The winner will win £225,000 in prize money, an increase of £25,000 from 12 months ago.

World Matchplay prize money

• Winner – £225,000
• Runner-up – £125,000
• Semi-final losers – £65,000
• Quarter-final losers – £35,000
• Second round losers – £22,500
• First round losers – £12,000

The prize pool for the women’s competition has significantly increased from £25,000 to £40,000, with the winner taking £15,000.

The winner of the women’s competition will also qualify for the 2026 Grand Slam of Darts and the 2027 PDC World Darts Championship.

Women’s World Matchplay prize money

• Winner – £15,000
• Runner-up – £8,000
• Semi-final losers – £4,500
• Quarter-final losers – £2,000

World Matchplay Darts – draw, schedule & results

Round two

Tuesday, 21 July

• (5) Jonny Clayton 7-11 Gary Anderson (12)
• (4) Michael van Gerwen 12-14 Dirk van Duijvenbode
• (1) Luke Littler 11-8 Nathan Aspinall (16)
• (8) Josh Rock 11-6 Stephen Bunting (9)

Wednesday, 22 July – 19:15 BST

• Cameron Menzies 1-2 Ross Smith (15) – Smith progresses afer Menzies withdraws with illness
• (3) Gian van Veen 14-12 Wessel Nijman (14)
• (7) Gerwyn Price 11-5 Rob Cross
• (6) James Wade 11-8 Ryan Searle (11)

Quarter-finals

Thursday, 23 July – 20:05 BST

• Dirk van Duijvenbode v Gary Anderson (12)
• (1) Luke Littler v Josh Rock (8)

Friday, 24 July – 20:05 BST

Order of play to be confirmed

• (15) Ross Smith v Gerwyn Price (7)
• (3) Gian van Veen v James Wade (6)

Semi-finals

Saturday, 25 July – 20:05 BST

• Van Duijvenbode/Anderson v Littler/Rock
• Smith/Price v Van Veen/Wade

Final

Sunday, 26 July – 20:00 BST

• One match

Round one results

• (8) Josh Rock 10-4 Luke Woodhouse
• (9) Stephen Bunting 13-12 Niels Zonneveld
• (1) Luke Littler 10-6 Niko Springer
• (16) Nathan Aspinall 10-5 Joe Cullen
• (13) Chris Dobey 11-13 Dirk van Duijvenbode
• (12) Gary Anderson 10-2 Ryan Joyce
• (4) Michael van Gerwen 10-6 Andrew Gilding
• (5) Jonny Clayton 10-7 Damon Heta
• (11) Ryan Searle 10-6 William O’Connor
• (6) James Wade 10-7 Jermaine Wattimena
• (3) Gian van Veen 10-6 Krzysztof Ratajski
• (14) Wessel Nijman 10-5 Dave Chisnall
• (15) Ross Smith 10-6 Kevin Doets
• (7) Gerwyn Price 11-9 Martin Schindler

• (2) Luke Humphries 7-10 Cameron Menzies

• (10) Danny Noppert 3-10 Rob Cross

Women’s World Matchplay schedule

Sunday, 26 July – 13:00 BST

Quarter-finals

• Beau Greaves (1) v Kirsi Viinikainen (8)
• Gemma Hayter (4) v Vicky Pruim (5)
• Lisa Ashton (2) v Rhian O’Sullivan (7)
• Fallon Sherrock (3) v Deta Hedman (6)

Semi-finals

• Greaves/Viinikainen v Hayter/Pruim
• Ashton/O’Sullivan v Sherrock/Hedman

Final

• Greaves/Viinikainen/Hayter/Pruim v Ashton/O’Sullivan/Sherrock/Hedman

Who are the previous World Matchplay winners?

Last 10 World Matchplay winners

• 2025 – Luke Littler
• 2024 – Luke Humphries
• 2023 – Nathan Aspinall
• 2022 – Michael van Gerwen
• 2021 – Peter Wright
• 2020 – Dimitri van den Bergh
• 2019 – Rob Cross
• 2018 – Gary Anderson
• 2017 – Phil Taylor
• 2016 – Michael van Gerwen

Every women’s World Matchplay winner

• 2025 – Lisa Ashton
• 2024 – Beau Greaves
• 2023 – Beau Greaves
• 2022 – Fallon Sherrock

This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.

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