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.
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.
| Tournament | Betfred World Matchplay 2026 |
| Venue | Winter Gardens, Blackpool |
| Dates | 18 to 26 July 2026 |
| Field | 32 players, 16 seeded players versus 16 ProTour qualifiers |
| Prize fund | £1,000,000, including £225,000 for the winner |
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.
| Best recent average | Luke Humphries |
| Best OChE | Luke Humphries |
| Best doubles rate | Rob Cross |
| Best score 171-180 | Luke Littler |
| Checkouts of 99 and 101+ | Wessel Nijman |
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.
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.
