The Professional Darts Corporation has confirmed the 32-player lineup for the 2026 World Matchplay.
The tournament will take place from July 18 to July 26 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, England.
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Defending champion Luke Littler enters as the top seed following the completion of qualifying events in Leicester.
The 19-year-old Englishman won last year's title by overcoming a 5-0 deficit to defeat James Wade 18-13 in the final.
That victory made him the fifth player in history to win darts' 'Triple Crown'.
This year's prize pool features an increased top payout. The eventual winner will claim £225,000.
Luke Humphries holds the No. 2 seed position after defeating Littler in the US Darts Masters final last month.
Dave Chisnall secured the final qualification spot, marking his 16th consecutive appearance at the event.
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Qualification and Notable Absences
The qualification structure combined the top 16 players from the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder with the top 16 eligible players from the one-year ProTour rankings.
Luke Woodhouse finished as the highest-ranked ProTour qualifier. Australia's Damon Heta earned his sixth World Matchplay appearance after initial round results guaranteed his spot.
Several notable players missed out on qualification during the final preliminary rounds in Leicester.
Belgium's Kim Huybrechts failed to secure a return to Blackpool after losing a last-leg decider to Jeffrey Sparidaans.
Daryl Gurney was eliminated from contention following a defeat to Madars Razma.
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The official tournament draw for the 32-player bracket takes place on Thursday, July 9, ahead of the next PDC European Tour events in Leverkusen, Germany.
