Luke Littler will begin the defence of his Betfred World Matchplay title against Niko Springer, with the draw for the showpiece event of the summer now confirmed.
The 2026 Betfred World Matchplay will take place from July 18-26 in Blackpool, as a star-studded 32-player field competes for the iconic Phil Taylor Trophy and a boosted top prize of £225,000.
Littler is aiming to become only the fourth player to retain the coveted title, although he faces a tough opener against German star Springer – one of four debutants at the Winter Gardens.
2026 Betfred World Matchplay
Draw Bracket
(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 Kevin 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
See your event brief.
Schedule
TBC
