Top 5 contenders for the 2026 World Matchplay of Darts: Littler, Humphries and others

ASFN Admin · 2026-07-10T16:42:48-0700

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The second-best major of the year is just a week away, with 32 players heading to Blackpool to try and win five straight matches.

We know players like the Lukes will be strong contenders, but there are a few players who will have a great chance at spoiling the party for the past two Matchplay champions.

Top 5 contenders for the 2026 World Matchplay of Darts

Let's take a look at which five players have the best odds at lifting the trophy.

MORE: 2026 World Matchplay of Darts: Draw, schedule, prize money and format explained

1. Luke Littler

Littler has won the last seven majors that have taken place, and he won't want to put an end to that run next week.

He benefits from the longer format, as he's virtually unstoppable in matches that approach the 20-leg boundary.

However, the Matchplay is one of the toughest events to win because of the depth in the event's 32-player field.

Littler's potential title route:

R1: Niko Springer
R2: Nathan Aspinall
QF: Josh Rock/Stephen Bunting
SF: Michael van Gerwen/Jonny Clayton/Gary Anderson
F: Luke Humphres/Gerwyn Price/Gian van Veen

MORE: 2026 World Matchplay Darts qualifiers

2. Luke Humphries

There's a real argument that Humphries is the favorite to win the event.

He beat Littler in the final at the U.S. Darts Masters, and when he's lost in a big final to Littler, it's only been by a small margin for most of the time.

Notable recent Littler/Humphries finals:

2026 U.S. Darts Masters: Humphries 8 - Littler 7 (legs)
2026 PL: Littler 11 - Humphries 10 (legs)
2026 World Masters: Littler 6 - Humphries 5 (Sets)

There are some big players on Humphries' side of the bracket, but when he's playing his A or even B game, he can beat almost anyone.

Humphries' potential title route:

R1: Cameron Menzies
R2: Ross Smith/Kevin Doets
QF: Gerwyn Price/Danny Noppert/Rob Cross
SF: Gian van Veen/Wessel Nijman/James Wade
F: Luke Littler/Michael van Gerwen/Stephen Bunting/Jonny Clayton

MORE: Big names set to miss the 2026 World Matchplay of Darts

3. Stephen Bunting

Bunting already has a major title under his belt in his PDC career, but he's yet to win a ranked one.

He's set to defend a lot of money at the end of 2026, so this event is a great chance for him to enter the 'major season', starting in September, with a good tournament campaign in 2026.

He seems to be in a good place mentally, and his form has been solid in patches, so for him, it's all about peaking at the right time, which I believe he can do in Blackpool.

Bunting's potential title route:

R1: Niels Zonneveld
R2: Josh Rock
QF: Luke Littler/Nathan Aspinall
SF: Michael van Gerwen/Jonny Clayton/Gary Anderson
F: Luke Humphres/Gerwyn Price/Gian van Veen

MORE: Watch: Luke Littler hits nine-darter in one of the greatest legs of all time against Josh Rock

4. Gerwyn Price

Price hasn't made a final at an individual event since 2023, but he's had loads of deep runs at majors, including seven semifinal finishes since last year's Premier League.

His draw in the first two rounds is manageable, so if he can get through to the QF, he'll have a great shot against anyone after he warms up.

It's really up to Price to get the job done, because as long as his mindset is right and he's in good enough form, he can expect to have a great shot at making the QF or further.

Price's potential title route:

R1: Martin Schindler
R2: Danny Noppert/Rob Cross
QF: Luke Humphries
SF: Gian van Veen/Wessel Nijman/James Wade
F: Luke Littler/Michael van Gerwen/Stephen Bunting/Jonny Clayton

5. Wessel Nijman

Nijman has been the talk of the PDC for months, as there's been no player who has won more Pro Tour events than him.

He'll have a chance to quiet the doubters who don't believe he can perform at majors.

A run to the semifinal feels very realistic, as the bottom quarter of the draw, in my opinion, is the most open, considering how unpredictable van Veen and Wade can be with their form.

If Nijman does what we've been accustomed to seeing from him, he should have no problem against Chisnall in the first round.

This is probably Nijman's best opportunity to make a statement at a major, as he's set up to be in the top-10 on the Main OoM after the WC at the end of the year.

Nijman's potential title route:

R1: Dave Chisnall
R2: Gian van Veen/Krzysztof Ratajski
QF: James Wade
SF: Luke Humphries/Gerwyn Price
F: Luke Littler/Michael van Gerwen/Stephen Bunting/Jonny Clayton

Honorable mentions:

Gian van Veen
Michael van Gerwen
James Wade
Josh Rock
Jonny Clayton
Gary Anderson

Top 5 contenders for the 2026 World Matchplay of Darts: Littler, Humphries and others

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