Check out the draw, schedule and tournament bracket for the 2026 World Matchplay as Luke Littler headlines a stellar cast of tungsten superstars all hoping to capture the coveted title at Blackpool's fabled Winter Gardens.
Luke Littler will begin the defence of his 2026 World Matchplay crown against Niko Springer, with the draw for the showpiece event of the summer now confirmed.
The 2026 World Matchplay will take place between July 18th and 26th in Blackpool, as a star-studded 32-player field competes for the iconic Phil Taylor Trophy and a boosted top prize of £225,000.
Littler is aiming to become only the fourth player to retain the coveted title, although he faces a tough opener against German star Springer - one of four debutants at the Winter Gardens.
The opening round sees the world's top 16 players drawn against the top 16 qualifiers from the one-year ProTour Rankings, as 2024 champion Luke Humphries takes on Scottish number two Cameron Menzies.
Michael van Gerwen opens his bid for a fourth World Matchplay title against Andrew Gilding, in a repeat of their memorable 2023 UK Open final, while Dutch number one Gian van Veen kicks off his campaign against Poland’s premier player Krzysztof Ratajski.
2007 champion James Wade - runner-up to Littler last year - plays Jermaine Wattimena, with former finalists Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price pitted against Damon Heta and Martin Schindler respectively.
Josh Rock returns to the Empress Ballroom to take on ProTour leader Luke Woodhouse, while Danny Noppert has been handed an intriguing tie against 2019 champion Rob Cross.
2018 winner Gary Anderson begins his latest title tilt against Ryan Joyce, as 2023 champion Nathan Aspinall locks horns with Joe Cullen in a repeat of their semi-final showdown three years ago.
Elsewhere, Wessel Nijman - a winner of eight ProTour titles in 2026 - goes head-to-head with five-time quarter-finalist Dave Chisnall, who sealed his qualification in last-gasp fashion last week.
World Matchplay Draw & Bracket
Top Half
First Quarter:
(1) Luke Littler v Niko Springer
(16) Nathan Aspinall v Joe Cullen
(8) Josh Rock v Luke Woodhouse
(9) Stephen Bunting v Niels Zonneveld
Second Quarter:
(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
Bottom Half
Third Quarter:
(2) Luke Humphries v Cameron Menzies
(15) Ross Smith v Kevin Doets
(7) Gerwyn Price v Martin Schindler
(10) Danny Noppert v Rob Cross
Fourth Quarter:
(3) Gian van Veen v Krzysztof Ratajski
(14) Wessel Nijman v Dave Chisnall
(6) James Wade v Jermaine Wattimena
(11) Ryan Searle v William O’Connor
Match Schedule
The full match schedule for the 2026 World Matchplay will be announced by the PDC later this week.
