The entries for the preliminaries of the Winmau World Masters 2026 have been officially confirmed. On Wednesday, January 28, no fewer than 122 players will battle in the prelims for just eight coveted spots in the main event of this first major of the new season. The tournament takes place at Arena MK in Milton Keynes and boasts a prize fund of no less than £500,000.
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The prelims serve as the prelude to the televised event, which runs from Thursday, January 29 through Sunday, February 1. The top 24 players on the PDC Order of Merit are seeded straight into the main draw and therefore do not feature in the preliminaries. All other PDC Tour Card holders do, however, get the chance to qualify for the big stage via the prelims.
In addition to PDC Tour Card holders, invited players from the Challenge Tour, Development Tour and PDC-affiliated Tours of 2025 are involved, supplemented by four talents from the JDC Advanced Tour. This creates a varied field where established names and emerging talents collide.
Format of the Preliminary Rounds
The format for the prelims of the Winmau World Masters is clear but unforgiving. The top-ranked 32 players are seeded and enter directly at the last 64 stage. They are joined there by 32 group winners from the preceding group phase.
In the group stage, 32 players are also seeded, one per group. The remaining entrants are randomly allocated across the groups. Only the group winners advance to the knockouts, which means every match counts and mistakes can be punished immediately.
All matches in the prelims are played in a best of five sets format, with each set being best-of-3 legs. This short format guarantees tension, upsets, and little room to play your way into a match.
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Big names in action
Several big names will take to the oche on Wednesday. Peter Wright, two-time world champion and Masters winner in 2020, makes his bow in Milton Keynes. Former world champion Michael Smith also returns to the big stage.
In addition, the line-up includes Joe Cullen, Masters champion in 2022, and Dimitri Van den Bergh, a World Masters semi-finalist last year. Also involved include Wessel Nijman and Dirk van Duijvenbode, while Krzysztof Ratajski and Justin Hood, both quarter-finalists at the last World Championship, aim to extend their strong form.
Dirk van Duijvenbode features in the qualifying tournament of the Winmau World Masters 2026
Notable absentees
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Not all familiar names are present in Milton Keynes. Five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld is one of eight PDC Tour Card holders not taking part in the prelims this year. Mickey Mansell, Ryan Meikle, Maximilian Czerwinski, Adam Leek, Jurjen van der Velde, Filip Bereza and Matthias Ehlers are also missing from the entry list.
Live on PDCTV
There is good news for darts fans worldwide: full coverage of the prelims is available live on PDCTV. Play takes place on two stages, with the first matches starting at 12:00 PM.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
Entries for the 2026 Winmau World Masters Preliminary Rounds have been confirmed ahead of this week’s £500,000 event in Milton Keynes!
📝 bit.ly/2026Masters