World Matchplay 2026: Humphries has the stats, Littler holds the title

Here’s today’s headline: the 2026 World Matchplay gets underway on Saturday in Blackpool with Luke Littler as the defending champion, but the latest statistics suggest that Luke Humphries is in the best form heading into the tournament. The PDC has released two major announcements on the eve of the tournament’s start: a draw running from 18 to 26 July at the Winter Gardens, and a Form Guide in which Humphries tops several key indicators.

Put another way: Littler holds the crown, Humphries arrives with the numbers. This is exactly the sort of tension that makes this Matchplay exciting right from the first round, especially with a prize fund increased to £1,000,000 and a cheque for £225,000 for the winner.

For details of the opening fixtures, our first-round schedule for Blackpool remains the handy starting point ahead of the first session.

18 July update: where to watch the World Matchplay

The PDC also confirmed on Saturday morning the official broadcast list for the 2026 World Matchplay. For French viewers, the key line is clear: the tournament is listed on L’Équipe. Elsewhere, Sky Sports covers the UK and Ireland, DAZN covers Germany, Austria and Switzerland, while ESPN is listed for the United States.

That detail matters because the tournament starts now, not in three days. PDCTV remains listed for subscribers outside the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, subject to territorial restrictions. For us, it is the right practical layer to add to this preview: the draw is set, the contenders are clear, the form numbers are in, and viewers now have a concrete way into the opening sessions.

A bigger Matchplay and a defending champion under the spotlight

According to the PDC’s official preview, the 32 qualified players will gather at the Empress Ballroom over nine days, with the 16 seeded players facing off against the 16 highest-ranked qualifiers from the ProTour standings over the past year. The setting is familiar, but the stakes have been raised a notch: the tournament now boasts a seven-figure prize fund, further emphasising the importance of each session.

Littler will begin his title defence against Niko Springer, a German debutant and winner of the Hungarian Darts Trophy. The challenge is clear: he could become the first player since Michael van Gerwen to retain the title in Blackpool. The PDC also points out that only Rod Harrington, Phil Taylor and Van Gerwen have managed to win back-to-back Matchplay titles. This is where things get tough.

Humphries tops the Form Guide ahead of Blackpool

The other highlight of the day comes from the Form Guide published by the PDC. Out of the last 200 legs analysed, Humphries has an average of 102, nearly three points ahead of Littler, who is reported to be around 99. He also leads the OChE indicator, used by the PDC to measure a player’s overall effectiveness in winning legs beyond their simple average.

This ranking obviously doesn’t win matches for the players. But it highlights a useful trend: Humphries has shown a higher level of scoring and efficiency in recent matches, while Littler keeps his natural weapon: a heavy volume of big visits. The score tells one story; form tells another.

Nijman, Cross and Bunting as the dark horses

The analysis isn’t limited to the two Lukes. Wessel Nijman enters the tournament on a strong run of form, with eight ProTour titles in 2026 according to the PDC, a milestone previously achieved in a single year only by Taylor, Van Gerwen and Peter Wright. His first-round match against Dave Chisnall could quickly become one of the highlights of Sunday evening.

Rob Cross, for his part, stands out strongly in the finishing statistics: he has the best doubles percentage among Tour Card Holders over the recent period, with a clear statistical advantage ahead of his match against Danny Noppert. He may not be the biggest name in the draw, but he’s the sort of player who can make life very difficult for his opponents.

Stephen Bunting and Ross Smith also feature among the players capable of making an impact beyond the first weekend. Smith could face Humphries as early as his second match if both progress, whilst Bunting is on a path that could see him face Littler in the quarter-finals. In this long-format tournament, these details matter.

Humphries wants a final against Littler

The angle gained a little more weight on Friday evening. In an interview published by Sky Sports, Humphries said his "dream draw" would be a final against Littler, because beating the world number one would add extra sparkle to a major title.

This is more than a standard pre-tournament line. Humphries also stressed that the rivalry can swing both ways, even if he has won four of their last five meetings according to Sky. The stakes are clear: after winning the Matchplay in 2024 and going out in the first round in 2025, he comes back to Blackpool in serious form, but still has a tricky opener against Cameron Menzies.

18 July update: Littler embraces the back-to-back chase

The PDC added a sharper Luke Littler angle on Saturday morning. In its official interview with the defending champion before his opening match, the world number one says he wants to join Rod Harrington, Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen among the few players to retain the World Matchplay title. This is not just a throwaway pre-tournament line: since winning his first Phil Taylor Trophy, Littler has stacked up major PDC titles and arrives in Blackpool with a level of dominance that already shapes the draw.

The key detail is his record over longer formats. The PDC notes that Littler has won 30 of his 31 career matches lasting 20 legs or more, with his only defeat in that bracket coming against Humphries in the 2023/24 World Championship final. In Blackpool, where matches quickly get longer after the opening rounds, that statistic matters for his title defence.

Littler also put his 2025 title run into context: an average of more than 105 across the tournament, an 18-13 final win over James Wade with a 107.24 average, and several comebacks after slow starts. This is not just a defending champion story. It is the profile of a player who has already shown he can survive a poor start in a long match, then finish stronger than the opponent.

Why this tournament could turn on a sixpence

Sky Sports also highlights, in its tournament guide, the particular significance of the format in Blackpool: the further the rounds progress, the longer the matches become, and the more crucial consistency becomes. This is where the long-distance duel between Littler and Humphries really comes into its own.

Littler has already shown he can bounce back from poor starts on this stage. Humphries, for his part, arrives with the cleanest record of the moment and a first-round match against Cameron Menzies, a recent ProTour winner, which is unlikely to be a walk in the park. In short: the World Matchplay kicks off with a defending champion, a statistical favourite yet to prove himself, and several credible threats capable of upsetting the expected script as early as the weekend.