2026 PDC World Darts Championship

Last updated
2025/26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship
Tournament information
Dates11 December 2025 – 3 January 2026
Venue Alexandra Palace
LocationLondon, England
Organisation(s) Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)
Format Sets
Final – first to 7 sets
Prize fund£5,000,000
Winner's share£1,000,000
«2025 2027»

The 2026 PDC World Darts Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2025/26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship) [1] is an upcoming professional darts tournament that will be held from 11 December 2025 to 3 January 2026 at Alexandra Palace in London, England. It is the 33rd World Darts Championship to be organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and the 19th to be held at Alexandra Palace. The winner will receive £1,000,000 from a total prize fund of £5,000,000, as part of the PDC's biggest prize money increase in its history.

Contents

The tournament, sponsored by Paddy Power, will feature an expanded 128-player field, with the top 32 players on the PDC Order of Merit being seeded in the first round. 71-year-old Paul Lim will extend his record as the oldest player to compete at a PDC World Championship after qualifying for the event through the 2025 PDC Asian Tour. [2] [3] Luke Littler is the defending champion, having defeated Michael van Gerwen 7–3 in the 2025 final to win his first world title.

Overview

Background

The tournament will be held at Alexandra Palace in London. APalace 1.jpg
The tournament will be held at Alexandra Palace in London.

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) was established under the World Darts Council name by the managers John Markovic, Tommy Cox and Dick Allix and the world's top 16 players in January 1992 as a separate body that broke away from the British Darts Organisation (BDO). [4] The inaugural edition of the PDC World Darts Championship was held from December 1993 to January 1994 at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet, Essex, England. It was won by Dennis Priestley, who defeated Phil Taylor in the final on 2 January 1994. [5] [6] Taylor would go on to win the tournament 14 times, adding to his BDO World Darts Championship wins in 1990 and 1992 for a record total of 16 world titles, including eight in a row from 1995 to 2002. [7] [8] The PDC World Championship is one of two world championships in the game of darts; the other being the WDF World Darts Championship, which was first held in 2022 as the successor to the BDO event. [6] [9]

Luke Littler will enter the tournament as the defending champion after winning the 2025 event. 2025-04-03 Premier League Darts Berlin 2025 by Sandro Halank-122.jpg
Luke Littler will enter the tournament as the defending champion after winning the 2025 event.

The 2025 tournament will be held from 11 December 2025 to 3 January 2026 in London, England. [10] It is the 33rd edition of the event and the 19th to be held at Alexandra Palace, which first served as host venue at the 2008 World Championship. [11] Irish gambling company Paddy Power continued its sponsorship of the event, having agreed a three-year contract with the PDC ahead of the 2024 edition. [12] A record-breaking total of 128 players will compete at the event. The expanded field was announced by the PDC in March 2025, allowing for an additional 32 players to qualify for the tournament from the previous total of 96. [13] A new qualification structure was introduced, including a minimum of four women guaranteed in the lineup. [14] Luke Littler will enter the tournament as defending champion, having defeated three-time champion Michael van Gerwen 7–3 in the 2025 final to win his first world title; he also became the youngest darts world champion in history at 17 years and 347 days old. [15] [16]

Format

Under the new format, all players – including the 32 seeds – enter the tournament in the first round, a change from previous years where seeds entered in the second round. The 32 seeds consist of the top 32 players on the PDC Order of Merit heading into the tournament. The seeded players, plus players ranked 33–64 drawn at random, will be placed on the left hand side of the draw and will be matched up against the remaining 64 qualifiers drawn at random. [14] [17]

All matches will consist of games of 501, where players are required to reduce their score from 501 to zero in order to win a leg, finishing on a double or the bullseye. The matches are played in set format, with the amount of sets required to win a match increasing as the tournament progresses. [18] All sets will be played to the best of five legs in the first round, and also in non-deciding sets of subsequent rounds. In the deciding set of all but the first round, the first player to win at least three legs and be leading by two or more will win the set and the match. If the set reaches a 5–5 tie without a winner, it will be decided by a sudden death leg. [19]

RoundBest of (sets)First to (sets)
First & second53
Third & fourth74
Quarter-finals95
Semi-finals116
Final137

Ranking

The PDC's main world ranking system, the PDC Order of Merit (known for sponsorship reasons as the Werner Rankings Ladder), [20] is calculated on a two-year cycle. Prize money won by players in ranking tournaments are removed from their ranking after 104 weeks, meaning players who participated in the 2024 World Championship, who did not lose their PDC Tour Card during the two-year period, will be 'defending' their prize money from that event. [21] At the end of the tournament, the prize money won at the 2026 tournament will be added and the prize money won at the 2024 tournament will be removed. [22] [23] After the tournament, the top 64 players in the PDC Order of Merit will receive a one-year extension on their Tour Card, joined by the players who earned two-year Tour Cards in 2025 who will enter their second year in 2026. [24] Players with two or more years on their Tour Card, who finish outside of the top 64, will lose their Tour Card and see their ranking reset to £0, along with all other players who earned prize money in ranking tournaments without holding a Tour Card. [22] [23]

Prize money

On 31 March 2025, the PDC announced the biggest prize money increase in the organisation's history, starting from the 2026 season onward. Coinciding with the expansion of the field to 128 players, the World Championship's total prize money increased to £5,000,000, with the winner's share doubling from £500,000 to £1,000,000; this was the first time the tournament's prize money increased since the 2019 edition. [13] [25] The winner will also receive the Sid Waddell Trophy, named in honour of the darts commentator who died in 2012. [26] The prize money breakdown is shown below: [27]

Position (no. of players)Prize money
(Total: £5,000,000)
Winner(1)£1,000,000
Runner-up(1)£400,000
Semi-finalists(2)£200,000
Quarter-finalists(4)£100,000
Fourth round losers(8)£60,000
Third round losers(16)£35,000
Second round losers(32)£25,000
First round losers(64)£15,000

Qualification

The 128-player field will comprise three sets of qualification routes. The top 40 players on the two-year PDC Order of Merit after the 2025 Players Championship Finals qualify automatically, followed by the next 40 highest-ranked players on the one-year PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit. [28] The remaining 48 places go to various international qualifiers, [17] including a minimum of four female players. [29]

International qualifiers

As of 21 September 2025, 18 players have secured qualification for the event through international qualifiers. They were invited in the following order. [17]

  Originally a qualification route
  Back-up qualification route
List of international qualifiers for the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship
EventDatesPositionQualifierRef.
PDC World Youth Championship23 NovemberWinner
PDC Development Tour 21 February – 12 OctoberWinner
Runner-up
Third place
PDC Challenge Tour 17 January – 26 OctoberWinner
Runner-up
Third place
Women's World Matchplay 27 JulyWinnerFlag of England.svg  Lisa Ashton  (ENG) [30]
PDC Women's Series 15 February – 19 OctoberWinnerFlag of England.svg  Beau Greaves  (ENG) [a] [31]
Runner-up
Third place
PDJ Steel Darts Japan Tour 16 August – 16 NovemberWinner
PDC China Championship 24 AugustWinnerFlag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Xiaochen Zong  (CHN) [32]
IDC Indian Qualifier3–5 OctoberWinner
PDC Asian Championship 13–14 SeptemberWinnerFlag of the Philippines.svg  Lourence Ilagan  (PHI) [33]
Runner-upFlag of the Philippines.svg Alexis Toylo (PHI)
PDC Asian Tour 25 January – 12 SeptemberWinnerFlag of the Philippines.svg Alexis Toylo (PHI) [2]
[34]
Runner-upFlag of Japan.svg Motomu Sakai (JPN)
Third placeFlag of the Philippines.svg Lourence Ilagan (PHI)
Fourth placeFlag of Japan.svg Ryusei Azemoto (JPN)
Fifth placeFlag of Singapore.svg  Paul Lim  (SGP)
Sixth place [b] Flag of Hong Kong.svg Man Lok Leung (HKG)
Seventh place [b] Flag of the Philippines.svg  Paolo Nebrida  (PHI)
PDCE Netherlands & Belgium Qualifier15 NovemberWinner
PDCE Mediterranean Qualifier16 NovemberWinner
PDCE South-East Europe Qualifier15 NovemberWinner
PDCE Czechia Qualifier16 NovemberWinner
PDO Polish Qualifier14 NovemberWinner
PDCE DACH Super League4–7 NovemberWinner
Hungarian Super League26 July – 18 OctoberWinner
PDC UK&IRE Tour Card Holder & Associate Member Qualifier1 NovemberWinner
PDC North American Championship 28 JuneWinnerFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Matt Campbell  (CAN) [c] [36]
CDC Continental Cup 17–18 OctoberWinner
CDC Cross-Border Challenge 11–12 AprilWinnerFlag of the United States.svg  Leonard Gates  (USA) [37]
CDC Pro Tour 9 May – 21 SeptemberTop-ranked AmericanFlag of the United States.svg Adam Sevada (USA) [38]
Top-ranked CanadianFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  David Cameron  (CAN) [39]
Top-ranked non-qualified [c] Flag of the United States.svg  Stowe Buntz  (USA)
CDLC Tour 26 April – 5 OctoberWinner
PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship 3–4 OctoberWinner
PDCNB Pro Tour 15 February – 3 AugustWinnerFlag of Sweden.svg  Andreas Harrysson  (SWE) [40]
Runner-upFlag of Finland.svg  Teemu Harju  (FIN) [41]
ANZ Premier League 4 October – 22 NovemberWinner
ADA Tour 27 June – 7 SeptemberWinnerFlag of Australia (converted).svg Tim Pusey (AUS) [42]
DPA Pro Tour 22 February – 31 AugustWinnerFlag of Australia (converted).svg Joe Comito (AUS) [43]
DPNZ Pro Tour 15 February – 28 SeptemberWinnerFlag of New Zealand.svg Jonny Tata (NZL)
African Darts Group Qualifier28 SeptemberWinner
PDC Tour Card Holder Qualifier24 November1
2
3
4
NB: One qualification spot is yet to be announced. Players in italics already qualified through a different route.
  1. Greaves is additionally currently ranked in a qualification position through the PDC Development Tour. Should she qualify through this route, an additional player will qualify through the Women's Series.
  2. 1 2 As the finalists from the PDC Asian Championship were also ranked in the PDC Asian Tour top 5, further places were awarded down the Asian Tour Order of Merit. [33]
  3. 1 2 Campbell was ineligible to take the World Championship spot via the North American Championship due to PDC Rule 3.9, which states that players who have held a Tour Card for more than two years, or are inside the top 64 in the world, cannot use affiliate qualifiers to qualify for PDC events. The spot was awarded to the top-ranked non-qualified player from the CDC Pro Tour. [35] [36]

Schedule

The event will consist of 36 sessions held across 20 days from 11 December 2025 until the date of the final on Saturday, 3 January 2026. [1] [10]

Thursday, 11 December
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
011
02
03
04
Friday, 12 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
051
06
07
08
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
091
10
11
12
Saturday, 13 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
131
14
15
16
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
171
18
19
20
Sunday, 14 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
211
22
23
24
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
251
26
27
28
Monday, 15 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
291
30
31
32
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
331
34
35
36
Tuesday, 16 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
371
38
39
40
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
411
42
43
44
Wednesday, 17 December
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
451
46
47
48
Thursday, 18 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
491
50
51
52
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
531
54
55
56
Friday, 19 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
571
58
59
60
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
611
62
63
64
Saturday, 20 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
652
66
67
68
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
692
70
71
72
Sunday, 21 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
732
74
75
76
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
772
78
79
80
Monday, 22 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
812
82
83
84
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
852
86
87
88
Tuesday, 23 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
892
90
91
92
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5
932
94
95
96
Saturday, 27 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Set 6Set 7
973
98
99
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Set 6Set 7
1003
101
102
Sunday, 28 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Set 6Set 7
1033
104
105
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Set 6Set 7
1063
107
108
Monday, 29 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Set 6Set 7
1093
110
111
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Set 6Set 7
1123
1134
114
Tuesday, 30 December
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Set 6Set 7
1154
116
117
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Set 6Set 7
1184
119
120
Thursday, 1 January
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Set 6Set 7Set 8Set 9
121QF
122
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Set 6Set 7Set 8Set 9
123QF
124
Friday, 2 January
Evening session (19:30 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Set 6Set 7Set 8Set 9Set 10Set 11
125SF
126
Saturday, 3 January
Evening session (20:00 GMT)
Match no.RoundPlayer 1ScorePlayer 2Set 1Set 2Set 3Set 4Set 5Set 6Set 7Set 8Set 9Set 10Set 11Set 12Set 13
127F

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