The race for places at the 2026 World Matchplay, scheduled for July 18-26 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, is intensifying, with several high-profile players facing the prospect of missing out. While stars like Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, and Luke Humphries are already long qualified, the battle for the remaining spots is highlighting potential debutants and putting former champions at risk.
Among those poised for a potential first appearance at the event are Niels Zonneveld and Niko Springer. Zonneveld, nicknamed 'Triple Z', sits second in the ProTour Order of Merit qualification race and has notable wins this season over Michael van Gerwen at the European Darts Trophy and Luke Littler at the Belgian Darts Open. Wessel Nijman leads the ProTour race by a near £100,000 differential. Springer is the top-ranked German on the ProTour, ahead of Martin Schindler. Other players currently in line for debuts include Kevin Doets and Sebastian Bialecki, with Karel Sedlacek teetering on the edge and Kim Huybrechts, who is 57th in the Order of Merit, also fighting for qualification spots.
However, the story is starkly different for several established names. Rob Cross, a former World Matchplay winner, finds himself outside the world's top 16 and sits 24th in the ProTour race, needing to rely on that route for qualification. Raymond van Barneveld is outside the top 30 in the race and is £11,000 short, with his limited European Tour appearances hindering his chances. Peter Wright is 33rd in the Order of Merit and 45th on the ProTour, roughly £20,000 short of the cut-off, meaning even a ProTour win might not be enough. Mike de Decker, the World Number 19, is outside the ProTour qualification spots and currently wouldn't qualify at all. Michael Smith, who missed the event last year, is also at risk, sitting just under £20,000 short. Dimitri Van den Bergh is in danger as well, given his ongoing form struggles.
Other players in precarious positions include Dave Chisnall, who is just outside the qualification spots in 18th on the ProTour, and Cameron Menzies and Damon Heta, who are having off years and find themselves only just in qualification spots, leaving them vulnerable. The qualification battle will continue to unfold in the coming months leading up to the cut-off.
