The 2026 PDC World Masters (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2026 Winmau World Masters) was a professional darts tournament that was held from 29 January to 1 February 2026 at Arena MK in Milton Keynes, England. The preliminary rounds of the tournament were held at Arena MK on 28 January 2026. Organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), it was the second edition of the PDC World Masters, previously called the Masters, since the event's rebrand in 2025. The winner received ã100,000 from a total prize fund of ã500,000.
The main tournament featured a 32-player field. The top 24 players on the PDC Order of Merit following the 2026 PDC World Championship automatically qualified for the main tournament. They were joined by eight qualifiers who advanced from the preliminary rounds, which featured players from outside of the top 24 and players from the PDC's affiliated tours. Two-time world champion Peter Wright failed to qualify for the tournament for the first time, while Gian van Veen reached the semi-finals in his World Masters debut.
Luke Humphries was the defending champion, having defeated Jonny Clayton 6âÂÂ5 in the 2025 final. Humphries reached his second successive final, where he was defeated 6âÂÂ5 by Luke Littler, who won his first World Masters title. Littler survived match darts against Mike De Decker and Gerwyn Price during his campaign.
Humphries hit a nine-dart finish during his second-round victory over Luke Woodhouse.
The inaugural edition of the Masters, the 2013 Masters, was staged by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) from 1 to 3 November 2013 at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland. Phil Taylor won the first final, defeating Adrian Lewis 10âÂÂ1. Since 2015, the tournament has been held in Milton Keynes, England. The tournament initially featured the top 16 players in the world before increasing to the top 24 in 2021.
In August 2024, it was announced that the field would expand to 32 players and the Masters would become a ranked event, starting from the 2025 edition. This preceded a bigger announcement that was made on 28 October 2024. The PDC announced a complete revamp of the competition, rebranding it from the Masters to the World Masters, emulating the World Masters which was first held in 1975 and organised by the British Darts Organisation and later the World Darts Federation. The revamp saw a change in format from leg play to set play, and saw preliminary rounds introduced to determine the eight qualifiers who would join the top 24 players on the PDC Order of Merit in the main competition.
Sponsored by darts manufacturer Winmau, the 2026 PDC World Masters was held from 29 January to 1 February 2026, preceded by the preliminary rounds held on 28 January; all matches were held at Arena MK in Milton Keynes. Luke Humphries entered the tournament as defending champion, having defeated Jonny Clayton 6âÂÂ5 in the 2025 final.
The top 16 players on the PDC Order of Merit were seeded for the first round and were drawn against the remaining 16 participants. All matches were played in traditional World Masters set format, where all sets are played to the best of three legs. The number of sets required to win increased as the tournament progressed.
The total prize fund for the tournament was ã500,000. The winner's prize money was ã100,000.
The tournament was broadcast on ITV4 and ITVX in the United Kingdom. Other broadcasters included Viaplay in the Netherlands and the Nordic countries; DAZN in Germany, Austria and Switzerland; Fox Sports in Australia; Sky Sport in New Zealand; VTM in Belgium; Nova in Czechia and Slovakia; FanDuel TV Extra in the United States and Canada; AMC Network in Hungary; Zonasport in Croatia; TV3 in the Baltic states; Arena Sport in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo; and Eurasian Broadcasting in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It was also available for subscribers outside of Germany, Austria and Switzerland on the PDC's streaming service, PDCTV.
The top 24 players on the PDC Order of Merit following the 2026 World Championship automatically qualified for the main tournament, with the 16 highest-ranked players being seeds. They were joined by eight qualifiers from the preliminary rounds to complete a 32-player field.
Two-time world champion Peter Wright, who won the 2020 Masters, failed to reach the main tournament for the first time. Other notable players to be eliminated in the preliminary rounds were the 2023 world champion Michael Smith, 2022 Masters champion Joe Cullen, and 2025 World Masters semi-finalist Dimitri Van den Bergh.
The preliminary rounds (best of five sets) took place on 28 January. The field for the preliminary rounds comprised all PDC Tour Card holders ranked outside of the top 24, invited players from each of the PDC's secondary tours and Global Affiliate Tours, and four representatives from the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC). Eight players from the preliminary rounds qualified for the main tournament.
Jimmy van Schie, the reigning WDF world champion, progressed to the main competition in his first tournament as a PDC Tour Card holder, having transitioned to the PDC by earning a Tour Card at 2026 Q-School. He defeated Ritchie Edhouse and Richard Veenstra in the knockout stage before beating Scott Williams 3âÂÂ1 to advance. Fellow tour newcomer Shane McGuirk, the 2024 WDF world champion, also reached the main tournament. Compatriots Wessel Nijman and Niels Zonneveld joined Van Schie to complete the trio of Dutch players to advance from the preliminary rounds, defeating Gabriel Clemens and Kim Huybrechts in their respective final matches. James Hurrell recorded a three-dart average of 111.33 in his 3âÂÂ0 win over the 2022 Masters champion Joe Cullen, before beating Alan Soutar 3âÂÂ1 to qualify. Jeffrey de Graaf reached the main tournament with successive 3âÂÂ0 victories against Wesley Plaisier, Rhys Griffin and Jack Tweddell. Madars Razma defeated Krzysztof Ratajski 3âÂÂ1 to earn his place, while Connor Scutt also advanced by beating Graham Hall by the same scoreline. Jamai van den Herik hit a nine-dart finish during his loss to Dominik Grüllich in the group stage.
The first round (best of five sets) took place on 29 and 30 January. Five-time Masters champion and three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen, who had recently won the Bahrain Darts Masters, was eliminated in a 3âÂÂ1 defeat to the Australian number one Damon Heta, who converted a 101 checkout to win the match. "It was special that I got the win, it didn't matter who I played," said Heta afterwards. "Me and Michael [van Gerwen] have had a few battles over the years, but to get a win over him is definitely a feather in the cap." Making his full debut after failing to qualify for the main stage of the 2025 edition, the 2026 World Championship runner-up Gian van Veen lost the opening set of his match with Ryan Joyce but came back to claim a 3âÂÂ1 victory. Van Veen admitted that he "made it a little bit difficult" for himself, acknowledging that his proficiency on double 16 helped him take the win. The 2021 world champion Gerwyn Price produced a three-dart average of 108.51 as he defeated James Hurrell 3âÂÂ0. "I think I was a little bit ruthless in that game," commented Price, who said he needed to play well against a "fantastic" Hurrell. The 2021 Masters champion Jonny Clayton hit checkouts of 161 and 136 on his way to beating Wessel Nijman 3âÂÂ1. Two-time world champion Gary Anderson and the 2014 Masters champion James Wade both advanced by winning in a deciding set, getting past Niels Zonneveld and Madars Razma, respectively. Shane McGuirk went 1âÂÂ0 ahead against Nathan Aspinall before Aspinall won 3âÂÂ1 with a run of six consecutive legs, while 2023 Masters champion Chris Dobey defeated Jermaine Wattimena 3âÂÂ0.
Reigning world champion Luke Littler and the 2024 World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker traded the first two sets of their match, with De Decker taking the next to lead 2âÂÂ1. After Littler missed double 15 for a nine-dart finish, De Decker missed a match dart on double 11 for a 142 checkout. Littler then levelled the match before winning the next two legs to claim a 3âÂÂ2 victory. He labelled the contest "tough" and said that De Decker deservedly took the second and third sets. After missing darts to win the opening set, the defending champion Luke Humphries defeated Dave Chisnall 3âÂÂ1. "If you're not hitting your doubles you're going to put yourself under pressure, but I'm really pleased with the way I ended that match," commented Humphries, who called the World Masters a "cut-throat tournament". Luke Woodhouse achieved his highest televised three-dart average, 108.64, as he beat Martin Schindler 3âÂÂ0. "I've just shown tonight what I'm capable of, so now it's about doing it over a long period of time and in the big TV events," said Woodhouse afterwards. The 2024 Masters champion Stephen Bunting defeated Jeffrey de Graaf 3âÂÂ1, while 2018 world champion Rob Cross earned a 3âÂÂ1 win over recent World Championship semi-finalist Ryan Searle. Ross Smith landed a 150 checkout in the penultimate set of his match against Jimmy van Schie before triumphing 3âÂÂ1. Josh Rock and Danny Noppert were also 3âÂÂ1 winners, defeating Connor Scutt and Daryl Gurney, respectively.
The second round (best of seven sets) took place on 31 January. In the afternoon session, Gerwyn Price landed finishes of 161 and 126 as he came back from 2âÂÂ0 down to defeat Welsh compatriot Jonny Clayton 4âÂÂ3. Price progressed to the quarter-finals of the tournament for the first time since the 2022 edition. Similarly, James Wade overturned a 2âÂÂ0 deficit to beat Gary Anderson 4âÂÂ3. Gian van Veen capitalised on missed doubles from Nathan Aspinall to win 4âÂÂ2; Van Veen hit 56 per cent of his attempts at double, while Aspinall hit 19 per cent. After establishing a 3âÂÂ1 lead, Chris Dobey was taken to a deciding set by Damon Heta. Dobey landed a 127 checkout on the bullseye before completing a 4âÂÂ3 victory.
In the evening session, Luke Humphries hit a nine-dart finish, his third televised nine-darter in the space of a year, to take a 2âÂÂ0 lead against Luke Woodhouse. However, Humphries missed a match dart on double 19 in the fifth set before missing more as he was brought to a last-leg decider. Humphries halted Woodhouse's comeback by pinning double 10 to win 4âÂÂ3. "I would rather win the game and not hit a nine-darter than hit a nine-darter and lose, so I am just glad I did both," commented Humphries afterwards. Josh Rock advanced to his first World Masters quarter-final by defeating Rob Cross 4âÂÂ1. "Rob [Cross] has taught me a lot mentally, and it's always tough playing him, but weâÂÂre here to do a job," said Rock after the match. Luke Littler raced into a 3âÂÂ0 lead against Ross Smith, who won the next set to avoid defeat. The pair entered a deciding leg in the fifth set, where Littler converted a 92 checkout to prevail 4âÂÂ1. Stephen Bunting was eliminated in a 4âÂÂ0 defeat to Danny Noppert, who won eight out of nine legs during the match.
The quarter-finals (best of seven sets) took place in the afternoon session on 1 February. Gerwyn Price advanced to his first World Masters semi-final since 2021 by defeating Chris Dobey 4âÂÂ2. Luke Littler hit eight maximums as he defeated Josh Rock 4âÂÂ0, only allowing Rock to register a single leg. A semi-final match between Price and Littler guaranteed a first-time World Masters finalist. "This is where I fell last year, in the quarter-finals, so it's always good to win and guarantee my place," commented Littler.
Gian van Veen converted 73 per cent of his shots at double during his 4âÂÂ2 win over James Wade. "In my own sets I wasn't really performing and that really frustrated me during the game, but with that finish percentage I got the job done," said Van Veen afterwards. "He [James Wade] beat me in the Matchplay last year and loads of European Tours and floor tournaments. I needed to get one back over him." Luke Humphries completed the semi-final lineup by beating Danny Noppert 4âÂÂ0.
The semi-finals (best of nine sets) took place in the evening session on 1 February. Gerwyn Price faced Luke Littler and Gian van Veen faced Luke Humphries. Price and Littler had previously met twice on the 2026 World Series of Darts; Price eliminated Littler from the Bahrain Darts Masters, while Littler defeated Price on his way to winning the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters a week later. Van Veen entered his semi-final with Humphries having beaten the Englishman in their last five meetings, including a 5âÂÂ1 win over Humphries in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Championship. All four semi-finalists were set to compete in the 2026 Premier League.
In the first semi-final, Littler took the lead four times, only for Price to equalise in every subsequent set as the pair went to a decider at 4âÂÂ4. Price found a break of throw to go within one leg of victory before setting up a 107 finish to win the match. However, he missed a match dart at double 20, allowing Littler to level and then hold his throw in the deciding leg to triumph 5âÂÂ4. Speaking after the match on ITV4, commentator Wayne Mardle said that Littler's missed doublesâÂÂ25 out of 37 attemptsâÂÂwent "under the radar" until they "caught up with him" in the final set, saying that Littler ultimately "found a way to get away with it".
In the second semi-final, Humphries recorded a three-dart average of 107.80 as he defeated Van Veen 5âÂÂ0 to set up a final with Littler. His second victory of the day without dropping a set, Humphries won 10 of the match's 12 legs. "There was some ego in that performance from Luke Humphries. He wanted to get one over on Gian van Veen," said commentator Chris Mason.
The final between reigning world champion Luke Littler and defending champion Luke Humphries, the tournament's first and second seeds, took place in the evening session on 1 February. Humphries contested his second successive World Masters final, having defeated Jonny Clayton to win the 2025 edition, while Littler reached his first final. It was the seventh major final contested between the pair, with a tied head-to-head record of 3âÂÂ3 in their previous six meetings. Humphries aimed to retain his title, while Littler looked to achieve a fourth consecutive major win. Commentator Mark Webster called it "the perfect final", also saying that Littler needed a mix of luck and class to make it to the deciding match.
The defending champion claimed the opening set but Littler responded with a 153 checkout to open the next, soon levelling the contest at 1âÂÂ1. The world champion established a two-set advantage by pinning back-to-back 121 checkouts in the fourth set, with the latter being finished on the bullseye. Humphries then won the next four legs to restore parity at 3âÂÂ3. He squandered an opportunity to lead by missing three darts to win the seventh set, which Littler capitalised on by going in front once more. Littler missed three darts for another two-set lead, allowing Humphries to equalise again at 4âÂÂ4. Humphries took a 5âÂÂ4 lead to go one set away from victory, but Littler completed 13-dart and 12-dart legs to force a deciding set. Littler secured a break of throw before pinning double 10 to win the match 6âÂÂ5. Littler finished the final with a three-dart average of 104.72, slightly less than Humphries's 105.51, and hit 13 of the match's 25 maximums.
Littler won the World Masters for the first time, his 11th PDC major title. A total of 11 major titles put him joint-third in the PDC's all-time list alongside James Wade, only beaten by Phil Taylor's 79 and Michael van Gerwen's 48. Winning the World Masters also meant that Littler had won all but one of the available PDC major singles titles, only missing the European Championship from his list of honours. "I'm shattered, absolutely knackered. Going into the last break at 5-4 [down], I said I have nothing left, absolutely nothing, but I just managed to dig deep," commented Littler afterwards, adding: "It has been me and Luke [Humphries] in the first major of the year and I'm sure it will continue." Humphries said the three missed darts to win the seventh set were the "only hole" of his game, claiming: "If I hit that shot, the possibility is I go on to win the game." "He [Luke Littler] has shown that true class. I said to him at the end I don't think he has a heartâÂÂhe never folds under pressure," Humphries said about his opponent. "It may be premature, but I think he's the greatest darts player that's ever lived."
The preliminary rounds began with a group stage, with one seeded player, ranked 57âÂÂ88, per group. The winner of each group progressed to the last 64 where they faced players ranked 25âÂÂ56. The eight winners of the last 16 matches qualified for the main tournament.
The following PDC Tour Card holders competed in the preliminary rounds.
Nine Tour Card holdersâÂÂRaymond van Barneveld, Mickey Mansell, Ryan Meikle, Thibault Tricole, Maximilian Czerwinski, Adam Leek, Jurjen van der Velde, Filip Bereza and Matthias EhlersâÂÂwithdrew prior to the preliminary rounds.
<strong>(Qualifier 4)</strong>
<strong>(Qualifier 1)</strong>
<strong>(Qualifier 3)</strong>
<strong>(Qualifier 8)</strong> <strong>(Qualifier 6)</strong>
<strong>(Qualifier 2)</strong>
The following players, who placed in the top eight of their respective secondary or affiliate tour in 2025, participated in the preliminary rounds.
Development Tour
Challenge Tour
Women's Series
PDCNB Tour
CDC Tour
CDLC Tour
JDC representatives
The preliminary rounds were played on 28 January 2026. All matches were played to the best of five sets. The results of the knockout phase are shown below.
The draw for the televised stages was announced on 26 January.
Numbers to the left of a player's name show the 16 seeded players for the tournament. The eight preliminary round qualifiers are indicated by 'Q'. The figures to the right of a player's name show their three-dart average in a match. Players in bold denote match winners.
This table shows all three-dart averages over 100 achieved by players throughout the tournament. For players with multiple high averages, this is indicated by the number in brackets.
The three-dart average is the most cited statistic in darts matches as it gives a rough estimate of a player's form. For comparison with previous years, see the highest ever recorded averages in the World Masters.
16 different players achieved a three-dart average over 100 during the preliminary rounds.