World Matchplay
The PDC's summer centrepiece. A legs-only major played in front of the packed, sweat-dripping Winter Gardens in Blackpool, contested for the Phil Taylor Trophy. Second only to the World Championship in PDC prestige.
Format
- Field
- 32 players. Top 16 of PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit + 16 from ProTour Order of Merit not already qualified.
- Format
- Legs only, no sets. Round 1: best of 19 legs. Round 2: best of 21. QF: best of 31. SF: best of 33. Final: best of 35.
- Tie-break rule
- Matches cannot end in a draw. From 10-10 in the final the match must be won by two clear legs.
- Leg format
- 501, straight-start, double-finish.
The venue
The Winter Gardens Empress Ballroom in Blackpool has hosted the Matchplay since it began in 1994. The low ceiling, packed balconies, summer heat and chanting crowd give the event its identity. Fans consider Blackpool the spiritual home of PDC televised darts, and the event is often called simply "Blackpool" by players.
The venue has also been adopted by the Women's World Matchplay and the Junior World Matchplay, both run as supporting events during the same week.
Recent champions
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Final score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Luke Littler | Josh Rock | 18-13 |
| 2024 | Luke Humphries | Michael van Gerwen | 18-15 |
| 2023 | Nathan Aspinall | Jonny Clayton | 18-13 |
| 2022 | Michael van Gerwen | Gerwyn Price | 18-14 |
| 2021 | Peter Wright | Dimitri Van den Bergh | 18-9 |
| 2020 | Dimitri Van den Bergh | Gary Anderson | 18-10 |
| 2019 | Rob Cross | Michael Smith | 18-13 |
| 2018 | Gary Anderson | Mensur Suljović | 21-19 |
| 2017 | Phil Taylor | Peter Wright | 18-8 |
| 2016 | Michael van Gerwen | Phil Taylor | 18-10 |
Phil Taylor won the Matchplay 16 times - more than any player has won any PDC major. The trophy was renamed the Phil Taylor Trophy on his retirement in 2018.
Why it matters
The legs-only format rewards sustained scoring over individual-leg brilliance. A strong player will routinely throw 30+ legs across a winning Matchplay run. The crowd dynamic of Blackpool - closer to rugby league than tennis - gives the event a distinctive edge that no other PDC major has been able to replicate.