World Matchplay 2026 Prize Money Explained: How much can Luke Littler, Luke Humphries earn for winning Phil Taylor Trophy in Blackpool?
PDCMonday, 06 July 2026 at 18:00
From Saturday, July 18 to Sunday, July 26, Blackpool will once again play host to one of the most prestigious tournaments on the darts calendar. At the iconic Winter Gardens, the world's top 32 players will battle it out for the World Matchplay 2026 title, the coveted Phil Taylor Trophy, and a record-breaking prize fund.
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The World Matchplay has long been regarded as one of the highlights of the darts season. Thanks to its prestige, unique atmosphere, and consistently high standard of play, fans often refer to the event as the 'Summer World Championship'.
This year, there is even more at stake, with the total prize fund increased to £1,000,000. That represents a 25% increase compared to last year's tournament.
The field consists of 32 players. Sixteen qualify via the PDC Order of Merit, while the remaining sixteen places are allocated through the ProTour Order of Merit. This gives players outside the world's top 16 the opportunity to secure their place in Blackpool through a strong floor season.
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Every victory earns significantly more prize money
No player leaves Blackpool empty-handed. Simply qualifying for the main event guarantees every participant £12,500. Players who win their opening match and reach the second round increase their earnings to £22,500.
The prize money rises sharply from the quarter-finals onwards. Reaching the last eight is worth £35,000, while semi-finalists are guaranteed a cheque for £65,000.
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The runner-up also receives a substantial reward, collecting £125,000, while the tournament winner takes home a massive £225,000. In addition to the prize money, the champion will also lift the prestigious Phil Taylor Trophy.
Luke Littler won the 2025 World Matchplay to complete the Triple Crown
Phil Taylor Trophy
The tournament winner traditionally receives the Phil Taylor Trophy, named after the most successful player in World Matchplay history. Taylor won the title an incredible 16 times, dominating the tournament for many years.
His final triumph came in 2017, when he captured the title once again during his farewell tour, providing a fitting finale to his remarkable Blackpool career.
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Despite the tournament's rich history, very few players have managed to win the World Matchplay more than once. Alongside Phil Taylor's 16 titles, Michael van Gerwen is the only player to have won the event three times, while Rod Harrington remains the only other multiple champion with two titles.
The remaining champions have each won the tournament once. The roll of honour also includes James Wade, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, Dimitri Van den Bergh, Larry Butler, Peter Evison, Colin Lloyd, Rob Cross, Nathan Aspinall, and Luke Humphries.
The defending champion is Luke Littler, who claimed his maiden World Matchplay title in 2025 by defeating James Wade 18-13 in the final.
World Matchplay 2026 prize money breakdown
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| Result | Prize Money |
| Winner | £225,000 |
| Runner-up | £125,000 |
| Semi-final | £65,000 |
| Quarter-final | £35,000 |
| Second Round | £22,500 |
| First Round | £12,500 |
| Total | £1,000,000 |
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
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.
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- I agree that this season the format was a bit stale, it would be better to have some new faces rotated in through the season. I also think they should vary the format a bit as it doesn't count for rankings, they could have different varieties of 501 (e.g. double start) or just different challenges.mikedarts03-07-2026
- I don't really understand why its an issue that Littler doesn't play in the events, they are barely televised so there is no draw for marketing and it gives the other players a better chance to define their narratives. The events are more of a throw back to old events. I agree that the format should be looked at, I don't know why they don't do a more interesting format or vary it through the season to improve interestmikedarts03-07-2026
- This shows they have the prize money structure wrong then (and OoM as a result). Put more £ into the floor, less on the TV and you'll attract more players to attend more often.BandB03-07-2026
- He's admitted his mistakes. He won't be the first or last player to get sent down,or take drugs. I honestly didn't like the lad,but at least he's owning up to his issues. So,good luck. In whatever he decides to dorick6702-07-2026
- Not everyone wants to watch pub players throwing 70 averages for about £500. Premier League is indeed a cash cow, but it does its job of promoting the game. This new suggestion for changes is one of the better ones. Even better if everyone knew what they had to do to qualify and it isn't just a walk-on popularity contest.StraightArrowNoBull01-07-2026
- I have a suggestion,scrap the whole thing. It's a pointless cash cow for anyone in the top 10.rick6730-06-2026
- Well nobody made him bet!! It's his own fault,if wants to lose money,then he shouldn't call Gerwyn out! He averaged 103,I would think the losing betting idiot could average 40! If you don't want to risk losing,keep your money in your pocket!rick6728-06-2026
- A great female line up this year, it would be nice to see Gemma win, but Beau is too good. Although the most important lady is missing....Lorraine Winstanley! You can't have a major tournament with out Lorraine Winstanley!! My dream is to see Lorraine hit a nine darter, run off the stage and out of the building with Dean.richieburnettrocks25-06-2026
- Laura looking fantastic and obviously has a hidden talent as a dart player. It was so nice to see her shock and joy of hitting that triple 20 I miss Laura, she was excellent and very knowledgeable regarding darts. Can you imagine that dozy wooden air head Emma Paton from SKY being able to do that, she'd hold the dart the wrong way round.richieburnettrocks25-06-2026
- Otherwise known as The Fishmedinabello24-06-2026
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