The wait is almost over. With the 32-player field confirmed following Tuesday’s frantic finale in Leicester, the draw for the Betfred World Matchplay was made on Thursday. As ever at the Winter Gardens, the bracket has thrown up more than a few contests that could define the tournament long before the business end arrives.
Luke Littler heads to Blackpool as top seed and defending champion, chasing back-to-back titles that would make him just the fourth player in the tournament’s history to retain the trophy, after Phil Taylor, Rod Harrington and fourth seed Michael van Gerwen.
Littler opens against Niko Springer, but it’s further down the draw where some of the most intriguing first-round tests lie in wait for the game’s biggest names.
Van Gerwen handed immediate danger
Few ties on paper look as dangerous for a top seed as Michael van Gerwen vs Andrew Gilding. The pair met just a few weeks ago at the Slovak Darts Open, where Gilding came out on top 6-4 in the last 16. ‘Goldfinger’ is no stranger to punishing the game’s elite; he beat Van Gerwen to win his maiden PDC title at the 2023 UK Open, and reached the World Matchplay quarter-finals in each of the last two years.
As a recent first-time ProTour winner, Gilding poses a serious threat to the three-time World Matchplay champion, but if there’s anything to learn from Van Gerwen’s form of recent years, it’s to never write him off.
Menzies arrives with real momentum
Cameron Menzies arrives at Blackpool having just won Players Championship 23 in Leicester, his first title of the year and one that came after a torrid 2026 that included a first-round exit at the World Championship. Menzies admitted afterwards that he never expected to win another ranking title, but his run to the win suggests he may be returning to form at just the right time.
Humphries remains the heavy favourite on seeding and pedigree, but a player rediscovering momentum this close to a major is never a comfortable opening draw.
Doets and Ross Smith set for an early classic?
Ross Smith vs Kevin Doets looks like one of the ties of the round on current form alone. Doets, making his Winter Gardens debut, has been consistently making final days on the European Tour and has already banked a first ranking title this year at Players Championship 13.
Smith reached the last 16 in the same event in Bratislava and remains one of the more dangerous threats in world darts when he carries his huge scoring power onto the big stage. Two players capable of putting together big weeks going head-to-head in round one feels like a shame for the later stages of the draw, but makes for a potential highlight of the opening round.
A big stage for O’Connor’s Matchplay bow
Ryan Searle vs William O’Connor brings a notable subplot: O’Connor is one of four players making their Winter Gardens debuts this year. The Irishman qualified via the ProTour rankings, and while Searle will start favourite as a seed with a World Championship semi-final run to his name, the occasion alone won’t phase ‘The Magpie’.
Despite going through some recent struggles with equipment and manufacturer changes, a player of O’Connor’s quality is no doubt capable of serving up trouble for Searle.
The 2026 Betfred World Matchplay takes place at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, from July 18-26.
Betfred World Matchplay draw in full:
(1) Luke Littler v Niko Springer
(16) Nathan Aspinall v Joe Cullen
(8) Josh Rock v Luke Woodhouse
(9) Stephen Bunting v Niels Zonneveld
(4) Michael van Gerwen v Andrew Gilding
(13) Chris Dobey v Dirk van Duijvenbode
(5) Jonny Clayton v Damon Heta
(12) Gary Anderson v Ryan Joyce
(2) Luke Humphries v Cameron Menzies
(15) Ross Smith v Doets
(7) Gerwyn Price v Martin Schindler
(10) Danny Noppert v Rob Cross
(3) Gian van Veen v Krzysztof Ratajski
(14) Wessel Nijman v Dave Chisnall
(6) James Wade v Jermaine Wattimena
(11) Ryan Searle v William O’Connor
Images: PDC
