The ninth Euro Tour darts event of 2026 takes place this weekend in the Slovakian city of Bratislava. In addition to the £35,00 winner cheque, players will be acutely aware that this is the final Euro Tour before the ranking cut off for World Matchplay qualification places.
The 2026 edition will take place from 18 to 26 July 2026 in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens.
Following the Slovak Darts Open only two Players Championship events in Leicester remain before the early July cut off. Thus, the prestigious Blackpool major rapidly approaching, competitors currently positioned around the qualification threshold now have only three ranking events remaining in which to consolidate or enhance their standing.
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Former World Matchplay champion Rob Cross all but rubber-stamped his return to Blackpool’s Winter Gardens after clinching Wednesday’s Players Championship title.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s newest World Cup representative, Cameron Menzies, continues to cling precariously to the final qualification berth for the World Matchplay despite suffering a first-round elimination – remarkably his fifth consecutive opening-round exit – during the concluding Players Championship double-header in Wigan.
The Ayrshire thrower currently possesses a wafer-thin advantage of just £4k over his nearest pursuer, Dave Chisnall. However, neither player will be involved in this weekend’s European Tour event in Slovakia, presenting a golden opportunity for those beneath them to either narrow the deficit or, from Menzies’ perspective, dislodge him from contention for a coveted trip to Blackpool.
Whilst a multitude of players retain mathematical aspirations, the realistic list of contenders remains comparatively diminutive. Barring an unexpected triumph either in Slovakia or at the Mattioli Arena, the principal protagonists attempting to force their way into the Pro Tour Order of Merit top 16 appear to be Chisnall, Bialecki, Huybrechts, Sedlacek, Graaf and Veenstra.
The five have all either shown superb form already this year or the signs that their best is returning at the right time. Sebastian Bialecki (main image) has also added a more steely resilience as well as the prodigious talent we have previously witnessed and Chizzy seems to have added a touch of self awareness to his arsenal.
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Aside from Menzies, Damon Heta and Daryl Gurney also remain vulnerable. Only the Scot enjoyed a positively memorable World Cup and none have been pulling up trees on the tier tours indecent times.
Even those lower down are not to be rules out. Cristo Reyes remarkable return to the PDC Pro Tour places him within a European Tour title of reaching Blackpool and Beau Greaves is just behind him. It is certainly not beyond the bounds of possibility that either could spring a surprise and claim enough to write their own Blackpool story chapter.
The upcoming trio of events will certainly offer an intriguing and complex set of possibilities.
Images: PDC
