Dave Chisnall Secures Last-Gasp World Matchplay Qualification as 32-Player Field is Confirmed

The 32-player field for the 2026 Betfred World Matchplay is officially locked in, setting the stage for the Professional Darts Corporation's summer showpiece at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.[1]

Following the dramatic conclusion of Players Championship 24 in Leicester, the qualification cut-off finalized a lineup split evenly between the top 16 players on the main Order of Merit and the top 16 from the ProTour.[1][3]

The £1 million tournament, which kicks off on July 18, will feature a captivating mix of dominant young superstars and battle-tested veterans, though several of the sport's most famous faces will be conspicuously absent.[3]

The most thrilling narrative of the final qualification day belonged to Dave Chisnall, who secured the 32nd and final spot by the narrowest of margins.[2]

Entering the final double-header in Leicester, Chisnall had calculated he needed a deep run to overturn a significant prize money deficit, having endured a difficult season that temporarily dropped him down the rankings.

He managed to scrape together £7,750 across the final events, edging out Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney for the last ProTour qualification spot.[2]

The tension peaked during Chisnall's decisive match against Greg Ritchie. After racing to a comfortable 4-0 lead, Chisnall missed nine darts at double, allowing Ritchie to tie the match at 4-4.[2]

Facing the very real prospect of missing his first World Matchplay in over a decade, Chisnall regained his composure to win the final two legs, securing a 6-4 victory and his ticket to Blackpool.

"I'm not gonna lie, today was one of the most pressure-filled days I've felt on the oche in some time, and it's from all my own doing," Chisnall admitted in his Kwiff column, expressing immense relief at extending his qualification streak to 16 consecutive years.[2]

Chisnall's triumph came at the direct expense of Gurney, who lost his opening-round match to Madars Razma and will miss the World Matchplay for the first time since 2015.[1][2]

Gurney is not the only high-profile casualty in what analysts are calling a definitive changing of the guard in professional darts.

Two-time World Champion and 2021 Matchplay winner Peter Wright failed to qualify for the first time since 2012, while 2023 World Champion Michael Smith and former Matchplay winner Dimitri Van den Bergh also missed the cut.[3]

Filling the void left by the old guard are four debutants: Kevin Doets, William O'Connor, Niko Springer, and Niels Zonneveld, all of whom leveraged strong floor campaigns to earn their first trips to the Winter Gardens.[1][3]

At the top of the draw, defending champion Luke Littler enters as the number one seed, followed closely by World Champion Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, and Michael van Gerwen.[1][3]

The seeded stars will have to navigate a treacherous unseeded pool that includes former World Champion Rob Cross, who dropped out of the top 16 for the first time in nearly a decade but remains one of the most dangerous floaters in the draw.