ANALYSIS | Van Barneveld and Wright are not the only ones: these big names are missing from the World Matchplay

The World Matchplay has long been regarded as the PDC’s second most important ranking event. A spot at the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool is one of the absolute highlights of the season for many players. That is exactly why the qualification battle is incredibly tense every year. This time, however, that race produced a striking list of absentees. Multiple former major champions, world champions, and established names failed to make the top 32.

Among the biggest absentees from the World Matchplay 2026 are Mike De Decker, Dimitri Van den Bergh, Michael Smith, Peter Wright, Raymond van Barneveld, Daryl Gurney, Gabriel Clemens, and Ricardo Pietreczko. It is a list that would have seemed unthinkable a few years ago, yet it also shows how quickly the balance of power within the PDC can shift.

For Belgium, this is an especially painful edition of the World Matchplay. Both Mike De Decker and Dimitri Van den Bergh are missing in Blackpool.

De Decker’s absence may be the biggest surprise. The 2024 World Grand Prix champion seemed to have firmly established himself among the world’s elite, but endured a difficult season in which consistent results eluded him. On the world ranking, ‘The Real Deal’ currently sits 21st and he also failed to break into the top 16 via the Pro Tour Order of Merit. His omission is all the more notable because he impressed on the Blackpool stage last year. De Decker beat Dave Chisnall 10-7 in the opening round. The second round proved his exit point after an 11-8 defeat to Jonny Clayton.

Dimitri Van den Bergh is also going through a difficult spell. The Belgian won the World Matchplay in 2020 and was a mainstay at the biggest televised events for years. Over the past two seasons, however, he has rarely been able to reach his old level. His trademark scoring power and strong finishing too often gave way to inconsistency, leaving him without a ticket as well. For a former champion, that is a particularly harsh reality.

Van den Bergh recently withdrew again from several floor events. In a message on social media, it was stated that Van den Bergh’s situation is being closely monitored.

Two-time world champion Peter Wright is also missing from the World Matchplay once more. ‘Snakebite’ is without doubt among the most successful players of the past decade, but his level has dipped significantly in recent seasons. For the first time since 2012, he failed to qualify for the World Matchplay.

His ongoing search for the right setup, once one of his strengths, now seems more of a drawback than an advantage. Wright changes darts frequently, making it rare for him to build sustained rhythm.

Where he was a perennial favorite for years, qualification for televised events is no longer a given. That a player with his résumé is missing the World Matchplay underlines how competitive the PDC is today.

Wright won the World Matchplay in 2021. In recent years, however, the decline had already started to show, as he has not gone beyond the second round at the last editions. The question is whether the now 56-year-old Scot will return to the Winter Gardens in the coming years.

For Dutch darts fans, the absence of Raymond van Barneveld is another setback. The five-time world champion has repeatedly shown in recent years that he still possesses exceptional qualities. He recorded fine wins over top players and qualified for TV tournaments on multiple occasions. Yet the required consistency never materialized. Van Barneveld now rarely manages to deliver strong performances in back-to-back matches.

It was precisely at the Players Championships and Euro Tours that Van Barneveld dropped too many points to ultimately rank among the top sixteen on the ProTour Order of Merit. As a result, one of the biggest names in darts history is again missing from one of the sport’s most prestigious stages.

For now, that leaves him on fifteen World Matchplay appearances. “Barney” has never won the event, with a 2010 runner-up finish his best result. In each of the past three years he went out in the opening round.

Alongside Peter Wright and Raymond van Barneveld, perhaps the most familiar name on the list is Michael Smith. The former world champion and ex-world number one has been going through a difficult spell in his career for quite some time.

Since lifting the world title, “Bully Boy” has only sporadically maintained a high level. Injuries, dips in form, and early exits at floor events have seen him slide down the rankings. In 2019 Smith reached the World Matchplay final, but this year the 36-year-old Englishman has to watch from the sidelines.

Daryl Gurney and Gabriel Clemens were fixtures at major PDC tournaments for years. Gurney won two majors in the past and was known for raising his game on TV. The Northern Irishman, however, has now slipped a long way down. Although he still shows flashes that the level is there, the consistency required to qualify for an event like the World Matchplay has been lacking.

A similar story applies to Gabriel Clemens. The German made history with his 2023 World Championship semifinal, but he never truly built on that success. His ProTour results lagged, meaning he also fell short in the qualifying race.

Clemens recently showed signs of improvement by winning Players Championship 24. Too late to qualify for this year’s World Matchplay, but it might put the towering German on track for a Blackpool comeback next year.

Niko Springer and Martin Schindler will represent Germany at the World Matchplay this year. Alongside Clemens, another familiar name from German darts is missing in Ricardo Pietreczko. “Pikachu” enjoyed a lightning breakthrough in recent years, including his surprise European Tour title. The German proved he has immense talent and can compete with the world’s best.

Holding that level, however, has proven far tougher. Mixed results on the floor events cost him valuable ranking points, leaving him on the outside for the World Matchplay as well.

For Pietreczko, this is above all a learning experience. At 31, he still has plenty of time to work his way back toward the top of the PDC.

The absence of so many established names says a lot about how today’s pro circuit is evolving. The competition is fiercer than ever. Almost every Players Championship features dozens of players capable of averaging well over a hundred. On top of that, young talents keep developing at high speed, making the battle for TV tournament spots tougher every year.

Where experience once often sufficed to secure a World Matchplay ticket, even former world champions now have to deliver week in, week out. One dip in form can be enough to drop out of the top sixteen on the ProTour Order of Merit.

While the absence of so many big names will undoubtedly take some getting used to for many darts fans, it also opens doors for a new generation. Debutants and relatively unknown players get the chance to showcase themselves on the biggest stage and perhaps make a definitive breakthrough.

The World Matchplay has long been known as the tournament where careers are launched and the establishment is challenged. This year, that seems truer than ever.

For De Decker, Van den Bergh, Smith, Wright, Van Barneveld, Gurney, Clemens, and Pietreczko, the task now is to reset quickly. The season is far from over and, with the World Grand Prix, European Championship, and Players Championship Finals still to come, there are plenty of chances to bounce back.

Their absence, however, underlines one painful truth: in today’s PDC, a big name alone is no longer enough. If you don’t perform week after week, you pay the price in the end — even if you’re a former world champion or major winner.