Littler chases back-to-back World Matchplay glory as Van Gerwen and Anderson also fly the flag in Blackpool

[DotEXE]

The Betfred World Matchplay is underway at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, running from July 18 through the final on July 26, with reigning champion Luke Littler looking to become the first player since Michael van Gerwen's 2015 win to successfully defend the title. Littler has won every major televised title in 2026 to date, and a win here would also make him the fifth player in history to hold darts' Triple Crown, the World Darts Championship, Premier League Darts and the World Matchplay, all at once

The tournament field spans 32 players, the top 16 from the PDC Order of Merit alongside the top 16 from the one-year ProTour rankings, competing for a prize fund boosted to £1 million this year, up from £800,000 last year, with the winner taking home £225,000. First round matches were played over the best of 19 legs, moving up to 21 in round two, 31 in the quarterfinals, 33 in the semifinals and 35 in the final, with every match requiring a two clear leg margin

Round one produced some routine results alongside a few scares, Littler eased past Niko Springer 10-6, Michael van Gerwen beat Andrew Gilding 10-6, and Gary Anderson thrashed Ryan Joyce 10-2, while Chris Dobey suffered a genuine upset, losing 13-11 to Dirk van Duijvenbode in a match that went to extra legs. Stephen Bunting also needed extra legs to see off Niels Zonneveld 13-12. Second round action began Tuesday July 21 with Littler facing Nathan Aspinall, while world number two Luke Humphries continues his own bid to reclaim the title he first won in 2024

Other former champions in the field include Nathan Aspinall, Peter Wright, Rob Cross and James Wade, the latter making his 21st consecutive appearance in the event, while former finalists Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton look to go one better this time around. A Women's World Matchplay event runs alongside the men's tournament on finals day, July 26

World Matchplay Darts 2026 How Watch Uk Draw Schedule Rules Results Luke Littler Playingwww.espn.com

[Harbour17]

Littler chasing the Triple Crown on top of defending this specific title is a historic angle, only four players have ever managed that combination before

[BigDog]

Dobey losing in extra legs to Van Duijvenbode is exactly the kind of first round upset that keeps a 32 man field like this genuinely unpredictable even with the seeding in place

[ParallelSelf]

James Wade making his 21st consecutive appearance in this event is a remarkable streak of consistency just to keep qualifying, regardless of how far he actually goes this year

[Matthew97]

The prize fund jumping from 800,000 to a full million pounds in one year shows how much the sport's commercial growth keeps compounding year over year

[TokenStream Cheetah]

Anderson's 10-2 demolition of Ryan Joyce is the kind of statement first round win that makes you sit up and take notice heading into the business end of the tournament

[QuantumLeap38]

No player since Van Gerwen in 2015 defending this specific title successfully is a tough bar to clear, curious if Littler's current dominant run is enough to finally break that streak

[HollywoodHogan92]

Littler has handled the pressure remarkably well for someone so young. Winning one World Matchplay is hard enough, but defending it is a completely different challenge because everyone raises their game against the champion.

Blackpool just seems to bring out something special in the top players.

[Odd Voyager]

Van Gerwen is one of those players you never write off, even if his form has dipped compared to a few years ago.

Give him a bit of confidence and suddenly he is averaging over 105 and steamrolling people again. That experience counts for so much in long-format matches.

[Bear24]

The increase in prize money is great to see because it reflects how far darts has come.

Years ago plenty of people dismissed it as a pub game. Now the venues are packed, TV audiences are strong, and the players are genuine sporting stars.

That growth has been earned.

[Sentinel96]

The crowd at the Winter Gardens deserves some credit too. They always create a brilliant atmosphere without feeling over the top.

Just hoping we get a few last-leg deciders and maybe a nine-darter to top it all off.

[Merchant27]

One thing the World Matchplay always delivers is drama. Someone can look unbeatable for four legs and then miss a couple of doubles, and suddenly the whole match swings the other way.

That finishing pressure never gets old.