OFFICIAL: PDC confirms qualification path for largest World Darts Championship in history

The PDC has officially unveiled the full qualification structure for the expanded 2026 PDC World Darts Championship — paving the way to what promises to be the biggest and most prestigious edition of the tournament to date.

A record 128 players will compete for the iconic Sid Waddell Trophy, with a staggering £5 million in prize money up for grabs. For the first time ever, the world champion will take home an unprecedented £1 million.

The top 40 players on the PDC Order of Merit, following the conclusion of the Players Championship Finals in November, will qualify automatically. Among them is reigning world champion Luke Littler, who stunned the darts world earlier this year with his sensational Ally Pally triumph, as well as current world number one Luke Humphries. Three-time world champion and 2025 runner-up Michael van Gerwen will also be part of the field.

In addition to the elite 40, the top 40 non-qualified players from the ProTour Order of Merit will also earn automatic spots — ensuring a high-quality field from top to bottom.

The remaining 48 places will be filled through a wide range of international qualifying routes. This global approach underlines the PDC’s commitment to growing the game worldwide, offering players from affiliated organisations, regional circuits, and secondary tours a chance to compete on the sport’s biggest stage.

At least four women will be included in the main draw, with additional spots reserved for the top three players from both the Development Tour and the Challenge Tour.

Qualifiers from Asia, North America, Australia, Africa, mainland Europe, and Oceania will also take part, either via tournament wins or through regional Order of Merit rankings. In total, the field is expected to feature players from over 30 countries, reinforcing the event’s status as a true world championship.

One significant format change will see all 128 players begin their campaigns in the first round — a shift from previous years where top-ranked players received byes. The top 32 will still be seeded as usual, while players ranked 33 to 64 will be placed in the top half of the draw, where they will be randomly paired with the remaining 64 qualifiers.

While exact dates for the 2025/26 tournament have yet to be confirmed, the PDC has announced that the event will once again return to its spiritual home — Alexandra Palace in London — for the upcoming edition. The famous venue will continue to serve as the backdrop to darts’ showpiece event, where history is made and legends are crowned.