Number of sets in each round of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship

The world's top 32 players will now have to come through an additional round if they are to be crowned 2026 PDC World Darts Championship winner.

The event has been revamped from last year with all 128 players now set to enter from the first round, as opposed to the second round, in which the big-hitters threw their first darts in 12 months ago.

The opening couple of rounds will take place over a best-of-five set format, meaning the player to reach that magic tally of three first will progress to the next stage.

Find out how many sets will feature in matches for the rest of the competition, including the showpiece final on Saturday 3rd January, below...

2026 PDC World Darts Championship Sets

• Round 1 - Best-of-five sets
• Round 2 - Best-of-five sets
• Round 3 - Best-of-seven sets
• Round 4 - Best-of-seven sets
• Quarter-Finals - Best-of-nine sets
• Semi-Finals - Best-of-11 sets
• Final - Best-of-13 sets

How many sets are in the first round of the World Darts Championship?

There will be a total of 64 first round matches at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, more than ever before, with the winners needing to win three of those.

Whilst the format of the opening round remains unchanged from previous stagings of the event, the number of players entering at this stage has increased following the inclusion of the world's top 32 this year.

How many sets are in the second round of the World Darts Championship?

Just five sets of darts are scheduled for matches in the second round, following the exact same format as the first round.

How many sets are in the third round of the World Darts Championship?

The third round will feature an additional two sets, meaning players will be required to register four sets to advance to the next round.

This is, of course, one more than they are required to win in the opening two rounds of the tournament.

How many sets are in the fourth round of the World Darts Championship?

Like the third round of the competition, the fourth round will also feature a potential seven sets, with the winner being required to reach four.

How many sets are in the World Darts Championship quarter-finals?

Quarter-final matches at the World Darts Championship will be contested over a maximum of nine sets, meaning, of course, that the player to hit five first will advance to the semi-final stage.

How many sets are in the World Darts Championship semi-final?

A spot in the showpiece final will be the reward for the two semi-final victors, with the winner being established once they hit the six set marker.

Matches in the last four will take place over a best-of-11 set format, the same as in previous years.

How many sets are in the World Darts Championship final?

The final will be contested over a maximum of 13 sets, with the first to seven sets being crowned world champion.

The final has the potential to be a marathon match, even if it doesn't go the distance.

Affairs have lasted over three hours in the past, and even matches which have been relatively one-sided still tend to surpass the 90-minute mark.

The last final to go to a deciding set was in 2016 between Phil Taylor and Gary Anderson and lasted around two-and-half hours.

How many legs are in a set at the World Darts Championship?

All sets at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship will be played over a best-of-five leg format, meaning the player to achieve three legs first will win the set.

This is in-line with previous stagings of the PDC's showpiece event.