Bracket PDC World Darts Championship 2026: Luke Littler and Luke Humphries find out possible fate in stacked top-32 bracket

The top-32 of the bracket for the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship is known. Should all seeded players win their first two matches, they know who to expect in the last 32. World number one and reigning Luke Littler is in line to face Joe Cullen, while Luke Humphries is projected to have a tricky test against Wessel Nijman.

Due to the expansion from 96 to 128 participants this year, all seeded players will also be in action immediately in the first round. After that, the seeded players can only meet each other starting in the third round. So should Littler and Cullen both win their first two matches, there will be a showdown between the duo in the third round.

Littler finds himself in a tough draw. Also in his quarter is Gerwyn Price who looks to be getting back to his best. He could face Ryan Joyce in the third round while Chirs Dobey may take on the inform Luke Woodhouse.

A player out of form is Stephen Bunting, especially on the big stage. The world number four will be hoping to put on a show once more at Ally Pally and could possibly do that against the recent Grand Prix quarter-finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode. An enticing matchup between Jonny Clayton and 2023 World champion Michael Smith could possibly be on the cards.

Humphries will be desperate to get his world title and number one ranking back off Littler. However, there is a scenario he could play Nijman ahead of a showdown with Nathan Aspinall. The Players Championship Finals finalist launched himself in the top 16 with a brilliant run in Minehead, meaning that he is now enroute to face the former World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker. Four-time semi-finalist James Wade and Cameron Menzies are also on a collision course.

A fascinating matchup between Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright has a chance of occurring. The pair of world champions have struggled for form in 2025 but could get back on track with a win against the other if it comes to that. In that same quarter, Gary Anderson is in line to face off against Jermaine Wattimena while a meeting between the 2025 World Cup champions Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney would make for excellent viewing.

The draw for the World Darts Championship will be conducted on Monday afternoon, November 24, at 16:30 BST. From then on, all players will know who their opponent will be in the first round and what their path to a possible World Championship final will be.

This year's World Darts Championship will start a little earlier than planned due to the expansion of the field of participants to 128 players. The first session is scheduled for Thursday, December 11, and as usual, the defending champion, in this case Luke Littler, will be in action that evening. Until Tuesday, December 23, all matches from the first two rounds will be completed.

After the Christmas break (Dec. 24-26), the matches from the third and fourth rounds are scheduled, when another rest day is scheduled on New Year's Eve. From New Year's Day, the quarterfinals and semifinals will then be played on Jan. 1 & 2, after which the new 2026 world champion will be crowned on Saturday, Jan. 3.