World Matchplay Darts 2026 - Schedule, draw and prize money
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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 men's 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.
Before the tournament, here is all you need to know on the format, draw, prize money and how the schedule was nearly affected by football's World Cup final.
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How does the World Matchplay work?
In 2025, Luke Littler became the ninth different player in as many years to win the men's World Matchplay
The men's 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 the men's and women's 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 men's competition and increases after the semi-finals for the women's competition.
Victories in the men's tournament 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.
Men's 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?
The men's trophy is named after Phil Taylor, who is the World Matchplay's most successful player ever with 16 title wins
For the men's 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.
Men's 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
How did the 2026 World Cup almost affect the tournament?
With England making the semi-finals of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, the PDC had announced plans to change the schedule if the Three Lions made it to the final.
Had England beat Argentina on Wednesday night to set up a final with Spain on Sunday, the PDC were planning on moving all three sessions from the opening weekend forward. That would have left Sunday evening free so that there was no session which clashed with the final.
However, a 2-1 defeat for Thomas Tuchel's side means the schedule goes ahead as originally planned.
What is the draw and schedule?
Round one
Saturday, 18 July – 19:00 BST
Josh Rock (8) v Luke Woodhouse
Stephen Bunting (9) v Niels Zonneveld
Luke Littler (1) v Niko Springer
Nathan Aspinall (16) v Joe Cullen
Sunday, 19 July – 13:00 BST
Chris Dobey (13) v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Gary Anderson (12) v Ryan Joyce
Michael van Gerwen (4) v Andrew Gilding
Jonny Clayton (5) v Damon Heta
Sunday, 19 July – 19:00 BST
Ryan Searle (11) v William O'Connor
James Wade (6) v Jermaine Wattimena
Gian van Veen (3) v Krzysztof Ratajski
Wessel Nijman (14) v Dave Chisnall
Monday, 20 July – 19:00 BST
Ross Smith (15) v Kevin Doets
Gerwyn Price (7) v Martin Schindler
Luke Humphries (2) v Cameron Menzies
Danny Noppert (10) v Rob Cross
Round two
Tuesday, 21 July – 19:00 BST (match order TBC)
Littler/Springer v Aspinall/Cullen
Rock/Woodhouse v Bunting/Zonneveld
Van Gerwen/Gilding v Dobey/Van Duijvenbode
Clayton/Heta v Anderson/Joyce
Wednesday, 22 July - 19:00 BST (match order TBC)
Humphries/Menzies v Smith/Doets
Price/Schindler v Noppert/Cross
Van Veen/Ratajski v Nijman/Chisnall
Wade/Wattimena v Searle/O'Connor
Quarter-finals
Thursday, 23 July – 20:05 BST
Two matches
Friday, 24 July – 20:05 BST
Two matches
Semi-finals
Saturday, 25 July – 20:05 BST
Two matches
Final
Sunday, 26 July – 20:05 BST
One match
Women's World Matchplay
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?
Lisa Ashton became the third winner of the women's World Matchplay in 2025
Last 10 men's 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.