Luke Littler will make his first-ever appearance at the Betfred World Matchplay later this month, while 2007 champion James Wade secured his qualification in last-gasp fashion on Wednesday.
The 32-player field for the sport’s summer showpiece was confirmed following the conclusion of Players Championship 14 in Milton Keynes, with Wade claiming the 16th qualification place via the ProTour Order of Merit.
This year’s World Matchplay will see a star-studded field competing for the coveted Phil Taylor Trophy at the Winter Gardens from July 13-21, televised live on Sky Sports and through the PDC’s global broadcast partners.
World Champion Luke Humphries will be the top seed in the £800,000 event, with three-time World Matchplay winner Michael van Gerwen seeded second. 2023 World Champion Michael Smith and 2022 World Matchplay runner-up Gerwyn Price will be third and fourth respectively, while reigning champion Nathan Aspinall makes his Winter Gardens return as the number five seed.
Former champions Rob Cross, Dimitri Van den Bergh, and Peter Wright are also among the seeded stars, along with 2023 runner-up Jonny Clayton.
2018 World Matchplay champion Gary Anderson headlines the 16 ProTour Order of Merit qualifiers. Premier League champion Littler will make his highly-anticipated Blackpool bow after winning three PDC ranking titles in 2024.
The draw for the Betfred World Matchplay will be made on Thursday, July 4, and available to watch through the Betfred social media channels.
