PDC World Masters 2026

28 January – 1 February 2026 · Arena MK (Marshall Arena), Milton Keynes

The 2026 PDC World Masters (Winmau World Masters) was held from 28 January to 1 February 2026 at the Arena MK in Milton Keynes. Luke Littler claimed his first title at this major with a 6-5 win in the final over defending champion Luke Humphries.

The 2026 PDC World Masters, staged as the Winmau World Masters for sponsorship reasons, took place from 29 January to 1 February 2026 at the Arena MK (Marshall Arena) in Milton Keynes, England. The preliminary rounds had already been played at the same venue on 28 January 2026. The organiser was the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC); it was the second edition of the PDC World Masters since the rebrand of the former tournament The Masters in 2025. The winner received £100,000 from a total prize fund of £500,000. The main draw featured 32 players. The top 24 of the PDC Order of Merit after the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship qualified automatically; the 16 highest ranked of them were seeded and drawn against the remaining 16 participants. They were joined by eight qualifiers from the preliminary rounds, which involved all Tour Card holders outside the top 24, invited players from the Secondary Tours and Global Affiliate Tours as well as four representatives of the Junior Darts Corporation. In total, 120 players competed for the eight open spots on 28 January; Jimmy van Schie, Connor Scutt, Wessel Nijman, James Hurrell, Jeffrey de Graaf, Shane McGuirk, Niels Zonneveld and Madars Razma qualified. Two-time world champion Peter Wright missed the main draw for the first time, and Michael Smith, Joe Cullen and Dimitri Van den Bergh also went out in the preliminary round. All eight qualifiers were knocked out in the first round. Defending champion Luke Humphries, who had beaten Jonny Clayton 6-5 in the 2025 final, reached the final again but lost it 5-6 to Luke Littler. Littler thus won his first World Masters title and, at 19, is the youngest winner of the PDC World Masters. It was his 11th PDC major title and his fourth major success in a row; only the European Championship is still missing for him to complete all PDC major singles titles. On his way to the title he survived match darts from Mike De Decker and Gerwyn Price. One of the biggest surprises came from Damon Heta, who knocked out five-time Masters champion Michael van Gerwen 3-1 in the first round. Gian van Veen reached the semi-finals on his World Masters debut, and Gerwyn Price was among the last four for the first time since 2021. The sporting highlights were Luke Humphries' nine-darter in the second round against Luke Woodhouse as well as the highest checkouts of the tournament, 161 points each, by Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price. In the final Humphries posted an average of 105.51, Littler reached 104.72 and hit 13 of the match's 25 maximums. The tournament was broadcast in the UK by ITV4 and ITVX, in German-speaking countries by DAZN and internationally by Viaplay, Fox Sports, Sky Sport and PDCTV, among others.

At a glance

  • Edition: 2nd edition of the PDC World Masters (after the rebrand from The Masters in 2025)
  • Organiser: Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)
  • Tournament type: Ranking tournament (Major)
  • Venue: Arena MK (Marshall Arena), Milton Keynes, England
  • Date: Main tournament 29 January – 1 February 2026, preliminary rounds on 28 January 2026
  • Field: 32 players in the main draw; 120 players in the preliminary rounds
  • Total prize money: £500,000, including £100,000 for the winner
  • Defending champion: Luke Humphries (winner 2025)
  • Winner 2026: Luke Littler (6:5 in the final against Luke Humphries)
  • Nine-Darter: Luke Humphries (2nd round against Luke Woodhouse)
  • Highest checkout: 161 (Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price)
  • Sponsor: Winmau (Winmau World Masters)
  • German-speaking participants: Martin Schindler went out in the 1st round, losing 0:3 to Luke Woodhouse. In the preliminary rounds, Gabriel Clemens (3rd preliminary round) and Niko Springer (2nd preliminary round) both lost to Wessel Nijman; Ricardo Pietreczko, Max Hopp, Kai Gotthardt, Dominik Grüllich, Pascal Rupprecht, Lukas Wenig, Mensur Suljović and Stefan Bellmont fell in the 1st preliminary round, and Yorick Hofkens, Marvin Kraft, Arno Merk and Leon Weber in the group stage.

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FAQ

When and where did the Winmau World Masters 2026 take place?

The PDC World Masters 2026 took place from 29 January to 1 February 2026 at the Arena MK (Marshall Arena) in Milton Keynes, England. The preliminary rounds had already been held at the same venue on 28 January 2026.

Who won the PDC World Masters 2026?

Luke Littler won the PDC World Masters 2026 with a 6-5 win over Luke Humphries in the final. It was his first title at this major; at 19 he is the youngest winner of the tournament.

Who was the defending champion at the Darts Masters 2026?

The defending champion was Luke Humphries, who had beaten Jonny Clayton 6-5 in the 2025 final. At the PDC World Masters 2026 he reached the final again and lost there to Luke Littler 5-6.

How much prize money was on offer at the World Masters 2026?

The total prize money was £500,000. The winner received £100,000, the runner-up £50,000, the semi-finalists £30,000 each and the quarter-finalists £17,500 each.

What format was played at the PDC World Masters?

It was played in the Set format with best of 3 Legs per Set and Double out. The preliminary round and first round were best of 5 Sets, the second round and quarter-finals best of 7 Sets, the semi-finals best of 9 Sets and the final best of 11 Sets.

How do you qualify for the Winmau World Masters?

For the PDC World Masters 2026, the top 24 of the PDC Order of Merit after the PDC World Darts Championship 2026 qualified automatically, with the best 16 of them seeded. Eight further places were awarded on 28 January 2026 in the preliminary rounds, in which 120 players took part.

Who were the eight qualifiers from the preliminary round?

Jimmy van Schie, Connor Scutt, Wessel Nijman, James Hurrell, Jeffrey de Graaf, Shane McGuirk, Niels Zonneveld and Madars Razma qualified through the preliminary rounds. Peter Wright, Michael Smith, Joe Cullen and Dimitri Van den Bergh went out in the preliminary round; all eight qualifiers were later eliminated in the first round.

Where was the Darts Masters 2026 shown on TV and stream?

In the UK, ITV4 and ITVX showed the PDC World Masters 2026, with DAZN covering it in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Internationally, broadcasters included Viaplay, Fox Sports, Sky Sport, VTM and Nova; outside the German-speaking countries the tournament was also available on PDCTV.

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