World Matchplay field confirmed as Dave Chisnall seals spot to join Luke Littler & Luke Humphries in Blackpool

Mark Mothershaw Updated: 08 Jul 26 09:16

The 2026 World Matchplay field has been confirmed, as Luke Littler looks to bag back-to-back titles at the iconic Winter Gardens later this month.

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The 32-player field for the standout summer tournament was confirmed following results at Players Championship 24 in Leicester on Tuesday, as the sport’s premier players prepare for Blackpool from July 18-26.

The star-studded lineup consists of the top 16 players from the PDC World Rankings Ladder and the 16 top-performing players from the one-year ProTour rankings, who will go head-to-head for the Phil Taylor Trophy.

Reigning Champion Littler headlines the boosted £1 million event, with the World Champion entering as the top seed and aspiring to become just the fourth player to retain the title.

2024 champion Luke Humphries returns as the number two seed, with Dutch number one Gian van Veen and three-time World Matchplay winner Michael van Gerwen entering as the third and fourth seeds respectively.

2023 runner-up Jonny Clayton and 2007 champion James Wade are seeded fifth and sixth, while former World Champion Gerwyn Price and last year’s Blackpool semi-finalist Josh Rock round off the top eight seeds.

Premier League star Stephen Bunting and former UK Open champion Danny Noppert are also among the seeded arrowsmiths, as World Championship semi-finalist Ryan Searle and 2018 World Matchplay champion Gary Anderson return to the Empress Ballroom.

There are also spots for Damon Heta and Dave Chisnall, who both squeezed through to Blackpool after picking up wins in a dramatic day at Players Championship 24.

Former World Cup winner Daryl Gurney will miss out for the first time in over a decade however, after being beaten in the opening round of Tuesday's Players Championship event.

The draw for the World Matchplay - which sees the top 16 in the world pitted against the 16 ProTour representatives – will be made this Thursday (9th July).