The 2025 World Matchplay Darts gets under way on Saturday, July 19 and runs until Sunday, July 27.
The tournament – one of the Professional Darts Corporation’s majors – features 32 players and takes place at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.
The top 16 in the PDC’s Order of Merit qualified automatically, with the other 16 places given to the 16 highest-ranked players in the ProTour’s Order of Merit.
That means some big names have not qualified – including former world number one and 2023 world champion Michael Smith, who just missed out via the Order of Merit.
World number one Luke Humphries is the defending champion, having beaten Michael van Gerwen 18-15 in last year’s final.
How does the World Matchplay work?
Luke Humphries holding the 2024 World Matchplay Darts title
The top 16 players in the world are seeded, meaning their first-round opponents will be those who have qualified via the ProTour.
The seeded players have been drawn in such a way the number one seed would face the number 16 seed if they both win their first-round match, and so on.
In the first round, matches are the best of 19 legs, which increases to a best of 21 in the second round.
The quarter-finals are the best of 31 legs, with the semi-finals and final potentially last 33 and 35 legs respectively.
What is the World Matchplay prize money?
The winner of the 2025 World Matchplay will take home £200,000 in prize money from the tournament’s prize pool of £800,000.
The runner-up will win £100,000, with two losing semi-finalists securing £50,000 each.
An exit in the quarter-finals earns players £30,000 each, while those knocked out in the second round will secure £15,000 each.
Those beaten in the first round will take home £10,000.
World Matchplay draw and schedule
First round (best of 19 legs)
Saturday, 19 July
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James Wade (9) v Joe Cullen
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Danny Noppert (16) v Cameron Menzies
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Luke Humphries (1) v Gian van Veen
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Nathan Aspinall (8) v Wessel Nijman
Sunday, 20 July
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Damon Heta (7) v Andrew Gilding
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Rob Cross (10) v Dirk van Duijvenbode
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Peter Wright (15) v Jermaine Wattimena
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Dave Chisnall (12) v Mike De Decker
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Gary Anderson (13) v Luke Woodhouse
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Jonny Clayton (5) v Martin Schindler
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Luke Littler (2) v Ryan Searle
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Stephen Bunting (4) v Ryan Joyce
Monday, 21 July
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Chris Dobey (6) v Ricardo Piertreczko
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Gerwyn Price (11) v Daryl Gurney
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Michael van Gerwen (3) v Raymond van Barneveld
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Ross Smith (14) v Josh Rock
Second round
Tuesday, 22 July
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Humphries or Van Veen v Noppert or Menzies
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Aspinall or Nijman v Wade or Cullen
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Bunting or Joyce v Anderson or Woodhouse
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Clayton or Schindler v Chisnall or De Decker
Wednesday, 23 July
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Littler or Searle v Wright or Wattimena
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Heta or Gilding v Cross or Van Duijvenbode
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Van Gerwen or Van Barneveld v Smith or Rock
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Dobey or Pietreczko v Price or Gurney
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