I hope you're strapped in, because the 2026 PDC Darts World Championship starts on Dec. 11, with nine straight days of first-round action set to take place.
Every qualified player will be in action in the first round this year, with no byes for the seeded players (top 32) as we've seen in the past.
With a lot going on in the first round, leave it to me to preview every single game, telling you what to expect from the players you know and those you might not know as well.
Predicting the winners of the 64 first-round games at the 2026 PDC WC
Let's take a look at what to expect in each matchup.
*The order of the matchups in the article is the order of first-round matchups that will take place from Dec. 11 -19
MORE: 2026 PDC Darts World Championship: Draw, schedule, format and prize money
Kim Huybrechts vs. Arno Merk
Winner: Kim Huybrechts, 3-1
Huybrechts is a far more experienced player on the big stage than Merk and has been more consistent with scoring/averages than Merk, so I expect him to win this one comfortably.
Merk qualified through the PDCE DACH Super League route.
Michael Smith vs. Lisa Ashton
Winner: Michael Smith 3-0
Ashton came close to upsetting Gian van Veen in a best-of-9 game at the Grand Slam of Darts a few weeks ago.
In a longer contest, she'll need her 'A' game to have any shot against the former world champion, who is still very good even though he's playing through injuries at the moment.
Luke Littler vs. Darius Labanauskas
Winner: Luke Littler, 3-1
Labanauskas is a veteran at Ally Pally, playing his 7th tournament there this December.
Unfortunately for him, he plays the hottest star in darts right now, so it'll be tough to overcome Littler.
If an upset were to happen against Littler, it could happen in the first couple of rounds when the format is shorter.
That being said, the likelihood of that happening is very slim, so Littler should win this one barring any catastrophes.
MORE: Predicting the PDC 2026 Premier League of Darts lineup
Madars Razma vs. Jamai Van Den Herik
Winner: Jamai Van Den Herik, 3-2
Van Den Herik hasn't produced any extraordinary averages, but has been fairly consistent on the Challenge Tour and at Players Championship matches.
This feels like a 50/50 matchup, but it could go against Razma, who has had subpar averages in recent events/qualifiers.
Niels Zonneveld vs. Haupai Puha
Winner: Niels Zonneveld, 3-0
It's been a rough year for Puha, although he was able to qualify at the last minute for this event through the TCH qualifier event.
Zonneveld has had some notable runs at PC events in 2025, so that form indicates he should be a strong favorite over Puha, who, compared to Zonneveld, doesn't have a lot to show from the Pro Tour this year.
Ian White vs. Mervyn King
Winner: Ian White, 3-2
This feels like another close game, but I have to give the edge to White, who's been slightly more consistent as a scorer recently, compared to King, who has mostly been playing on the Challenge Tour.
King did make it to the quarterfinals of the 2022 PDC WC, but failed to qualify for the WC the last two years (2024, 2025).
Ryan Searle vs. Chris Landman
Winner: Ryan Searle, 3-1
Searle has been great on the Pro Tour in the last couple of years, but is still searching for a career-defining run at a major like the world championship.
He's facing an opponent in Chris Landman, who has really only played at PC events and hasn't had any notable results.
Rob Cross vs. Cor Dekker
Winner: Cor Dekker, 3-2
It's been a rough year for Cross, who has had little to show on the big stage despite being one of the higher-ranked players in the PDC.
It's going to take a big day from Dekker to beat Cross despite his struggles, but I think if he plays to his ceiling, it could be an electric Ally Pally debut for the Norwegian, with the potential of dumping out a former champion in the process.
Ross Smith vs. Andreas Harrysson
Winner: Ross Smith, 3-2
As cool as it would be to see another player from northern Europe come away with an upset win, it will be a tough task for Harrysson on debut.
Smith hasn't exactly been great on stage at majors this year, but has had a handful of quality runs on the Pro Tour and at the World Series of Darts.
Harrysson could still be on upset watch, but I just don't see him picking up a win like this quite yet with a tough opponent in front of him.
Ricky Evans vs. Man Lok Leung
Winner: Ricky Evans, 3-2
This is a fantastic first-round matchup set up between two players we don't see play too often on the big stage.
Evans always seems to put his best form together at the end of the year, and that, combined with a recent run at the Grand Slam of Darts, is what I believe gives him a slight edge in what should be a thriller against Man Lok Leung.
Man Lok Leung has made a name for himself on this stage before, and at the World Cup of Darts, so fans will know what to expect from him in this contest.
Gian van Veen vs. Cristo Reyes
Winner: Gian van Veen, 3-0
Van Veen is a star in the making, looking to beat his best run at the PDC WC, which was last year when he made it to the second round.
With the form he's been in and the fact that he's playing an international qualifier with little PDC experience in recent years, it should be a comfortable win for the Dutchman.
Damon Heta vs. Steve Lennon
Winner: Damon Heta, 3-1
It seems like it's do or die for the Aussie at this year's WC.
He's been in conversations to be in the Premier League, but hasn't backed it up with performances that are in line with how highly he was ranked entering 2025.
Even with Heta not in top form, I still expect him to go through pretty smoothly in this contest.
Mario Vandenbogaerde vs. David Davies
Winner: Mario Vandenbogaerde, 3-1
Vandenbogaerde has been slightly more consistent than Davies recently and has much more experience on the big stages.
Andrew Gilding vs. Cam Crabtree
Winner: Cam Crabtree, 3-2
Crabtree has really blossomed well over the past month, playing great darts at the Grand Slam of Darts and at the Players Championship Finals.
Gilding has had his peaks and valleys this year, failing to qualify for some key majors after a quality quarterfinal run in Blackpool this summer.
I anticipate this being a close game, as both players can be electric when at the top of their respective games.
Luke Woodhouse vs. Boris Krcmar
Winner: Luke Woodhouse, 3-2
Woodhouse had a nice run into the last 16 at the PDC WC last year, and he'll look to replicate it.
Krcmar has plenty of experience at Ally Pally and will look to stay in a close game with Woodhouse, who has been solid recently.
Gary Anderson vs. Adam Hunt
Winner: Gary Anderson, 3-1
We've seen less and less of Anderson this year, as he has mostly played at majors.
He'll look to make up for a disappointing performance at the WC last year, as he was whitewashed by Jeffrey De Graaf in his opening game of the tournament.
Jeffrey De Graaf vs. Paul Lim
Winner: Jeffrey De Graaf, 3-1
De Graaf has played great darts in his last two WC appearances, making the third round in 2024 and the fourth round in 2025.
Lim is back in the WC for the first time since 2022, but it'll take a strong effort from the 71-year-old to overcome the Swedish sensation.
Wessel Nijman vs. Karel Sedlacek
Winner: Wessel Nijman, 3-0
It's been a rough year for Sedlacek on the big stage, and it won't help that he faces a determined Nijman.
It feels like Nijman has been within reach of a big performance at each major this year.
He was towards the top of the list of favorites to win last year despite making just his second appearance at the WC.
He's had some unfortunate losses at big events, so he'll once again look to break that spell with an opening win against 'Evil Charlie.'
Luke Humphries vs. Ted Evetts
Winner: Luke Humphries, 3-0
Humphries went out and said he would win the WC after his loss in the Grand Slam of Darts final.
He faces Ted Evetts in the first round, who was one of the best youth darts players a few years ago, but hasn't found his rhythm since.
Humphries should grab an easy win against the 28-year-old.
Gabriel Clemens vs. Alex Spellman
Winner: Gabriel Clemens, 3-1
Spellman qualified for the recent Grand Slam of Darts, but didn't make much out of the trip.
Clemens was a semifinalist at the WC a few years ago, but since then hasn't really come close to a campaign that matched that tournament.
Ritchie Edhouse vs. Jonny Tata
Winner: Ritchie Edhouse, 3-2
Tata has consistently put in averages around the mid-80s at the recent ANZ Premier League.
He'll face an ice-cold Ritchie Edhouse, who has struggled to carry any momentum with him after winning the European Championship in 2024.
Tata could hang in this game, but I'll take Edhouse despite his struggles.
Dom Taylor vs. Oskar Lukasiak
Winner: Dom Taylor, 3-1
Taylor will be making his debut in a year where he's made a couple of semifinal appearances and a quarterfinal appearance at PC events.
Lukasiak is also making his Ally Pally debut, but hasn't done much in the limited action he has had at PDC events.
Richard Veenstra vs. Nitin Kumar
Winner: Richard Veenstra, 3-0
Kumar has never made it out of the first round in his four appearances at Ally Pally. He's won just one set across those games.
Veenstra is a much more experienced player who should be able to get a win to open up his 2026 PDC WC campaign.
Joe Cullen vs. Bradley Brooks
Winner: Joe Cullen, 3-2
There's been a lot of chatter around Brooks being the favorite in this match, but Cullen has been in the underdog position before and has thrived off all the chatter against him.
The highlight of the year for Brooks was his PC 21 event win, but he has had a relatively quiet year otherwise, outside of a few notable events.
I expect this to be an entertaining and memorable contest, but I don't see Cullen dropping this one, given his character and experience in this type of scenario and environment.
Lukas Wenig vs. Wesley Plaiser
Winner: Lukas Wenig, 3-1
Plaisier made a name for himself in 2024 after a win and some quality runs at PC events, but hasn't done a whole lot since.
Wenig will look to carry the momentum he's had from his run at the Grand Slam of Darts last month, as well as some other promising performances on the Pro Tour, into this game/tournament.
Dimitri van den Bergh vs. Darren Beveridge
Winner: Dimitri van den Bergh, 3-1
It's been a very odd year for van den Bergh, not playing/qualifying for any majors since the UK Open.
He's only ever not made it past the first round in one year, so I find it hard seeing him lose despite how inactive he's been on tour this year.
He should feel rejuvenated and ready for the challenge that the WC presents after a long break, while also being confident in knowing that he's made it far before.
The result will all depend on Dimi's performance, as Beveridge hasn't been in poor form at all recently, but I expect van den Bergh to get the job done.
Stephen Bunting vs. Sebastian Bialecki
Winner: Stephen Bunting, 3-2
Out of the top seeds, Bunting might have one of the more difficult first-round ties.
2025 has been a weird year for Bunting, as he's struggled at majors, but has played great on the Pro Tour and at World Series events.
Bialecki is an enticing prospect to keep a close eye on, as I think he could put up a quality fight against Bunting in this game.
Bunting hasn't been in the best form on the big stages, but it's hard to see him falling this early after making the semifinal last year.
James Hurrell vs. Stowe Buntz
Winner: James Hurrell, 3-0
Buntz faces a tough challenge against his opponent, Hurrell, who has been in much better form.
Hurrell had a successful campaign at the PC Finals a couple of weeks ago, taking down Jonny Clayton and Luke Woodhouse before losing to Chris Dobey in the third round.
His averages have been far more consistently in the 90s range, while Buntz has hovered more around the low 80s.
Brendan Dolan vs. Tavis Dudeney
Winner: Brendan Dolan, 3-0
Dolan is set to play in his 18th PDC WC. He's surprisingly had a lot of early exits at the WC for a player who has had a solid career, only making two quarterfinal appearances.
He should be able to get through in this one, though, as he faces one of the TCH qualifiers who hasn't had any eye-opening averages that suggest this should be a close game.
Cameron Menzies vs. Charlie Manby
Winner: Cameron Menzies, 3-2
Menzies has had a bumpy couple of years after looking like he could really insert himself into as high as the top-20 on the OoM.
He has a few nice PC runs in 2025, including an event title, but the big stage is still a place where he's looking for more results.
Manby will be making his debut at the PDC WC this year, so we haven't seen too much of him yet, but his form and recent averages suggest he could average somewhere around 90.00.
If that happens, this could be a close game depending on how Menzies plays, but I still think Menzies should have the edge over the debutant.
Mensur Suljovic vs. David Cameron
Winner: Mensur Suljovic, 3-2
Suljovic will be playing in his 17th PDC WC this year.
Cameron has been great on the CDC Tour and will face Suljovic, who hasn't done too much in 2025.
Both players are a little unpredictable, so this match could be close, with each player likely to have similar averages.
Peter Wright vs. Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Winner: Peter Wright, 3-1
Van Leuven had a solid debut at Ally Pally last year, averaging in the high 80s against Kevin Doets.
She'll face one of the game's greats, but a player who has slowed down quite a bit over the last year or so. I still think Wright will come out the victor here.
As we saw last year, he still rises to the occasion at the WC, even in the midst of poor performances.
Martin Lukeman vs. Max Hopp
Winner: Max Hopp, 3-1
Hopp will return to Ally Pally for the first time since 2021.
He didn't look too bad at the PC Finals a couple of weeks ago, and I don't think it would be crazy to see him knock out Lukeman in the first round, since he hasn't been all too impressive since his final appearance at the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts.
Dirk van Duijvenbode vs. Andy Baetens
Winner: Dirk van Duijvenbode, 3-1
Baetens will be making his WC debut this month with a WDF WC title already under his belt.
He's consistently been averaging in the mid to high 80s, which, if he can sustain it in this match, could give him a shot, but van Duijvenbode is a threatening opponent to the Belgian.
DVD's best finish at the WC came in 2021 when he made the quarterfinal round, and he's made it to at least the second round every year since then.
Jonny Clayton vs. Adam Lipscombe
Winner: Jonny Clayton, 3-1
Out of the main eight TV-ranked majors, the PDC WC is one of the two events where Clayton has never made a semifinal appearance.
That being said, he's done a solid job of advancing at least a couple of rounds in his past few WC appearances, but he'll want to go further than that.
There are major implications during this tournament for Clayton, as he's a Premier League candidate for 2026 and will likely need to put together a noticeable campaign to get in.
Lipscombe played some respectable darts at Minehead a few weeks ago at the PC Finals, so he could hang around if Clayton isn't playing his best game in the first round.
Connor Scutt vs. Simon Whitlock
Winner: Connor Scutt, 3-2
This matchup is yet another I'll have circled on my bracket.
Scutt has had his moments on tour when he's looked unstoppable, but they haven't come as often as I'm sure he'd want.
He plays Simon Whitlock, who is a legend in the game of darts and will be looking to recapture the attention of the Ally Pally crowd after not qualifying in 2025.
For old times' sake, it would be cool to see a Whitlock win, but Scutt will have a chip on his shoulder after losing a winnable game to Aussie Damon Heta in the second round last year. Still, you should expect a close game either way.
Alan Soutar vs. Teemu Harju
Winner: Teemu Harju, 3-2
The stats probably favor Soutar in this game, but I like the prospect that Harju is.
He's played darts for quite a few years, but will finally make his debut at this event this year.
I think Harju could have a breakout performance in a tight contest with Soutar.
Nick Kenny vs. Justin Hood
Winner: Justin Hood, 3-2
Hood's scoring range has been somewhat erratic from game to game in recent months, but he's a fun player to watch when he's playing at top form.
Kenny had a nice run at the WC last year, but I think he's in a tough spot against Hood this year.
It won't be a blowout, but Hood should have his way in the end.
Scott Williams vs. Paolo Nebrida
Winner: Scott Williams, 3-1
Nebrida broke out at last year's WC, making it to the third round.
Williams is one of those players who fall in the category of players who just naturally reach their peak form at Ally Pally.
There's been some buzz that Williams might be dealing with dartitis, so hopefully that doesn't hinder Williams, as he's had some career-best performances at the WC, including a semifinal run in 2024.
Chris Dobey vs. Xiaochen Zong
Winner: Chris Dobey, 3-1
Dobey is likely to fall out of the Premier League lineup as it stands, unless he has another campaign like he had last year, making it all the way to the semifinals.
He plays one of the premier Asian players in the first round, but should be able to get through to play either Gilding or Crabtree in the second round.
Ricardo Pietreczko vs. Jose De Sousa
Winner: Ricardo Pietreczko, 3-1
This tournament could be the breakout event for Pikachu, as he has a favorable section of the draw if he plays well and advances.
De Sousa will be fighting for his life to keep his tour card through a miracle campaign, but that attempt should be short-lived, as Pietreczko is slowly putting together some positive results at big events.
Danny Noppert vs. Jurjen van der Velde
Winner: Danny Noppert, 3-1
Van der Velde is still just entering the darting scene and likely needs more time before being an upset threat at events.
He made some important strides in that direction at the Grand Slam of Darts, but Noppert has been elite in 2025 so far and doesn't plan on slowing down.
He's another name fighting for his right to make the Premier League lineup in 2026.
Gerwyn Price vs. Adam Gawlas
Winner: Gerwyn Price, 3-0
Gawlas' best career performance came at the 2023 UK Open when he made the semifinal, but results have been scarce since then.
Price has made at least the quarterfinal round in five out of the last six PDC WCs.
Niko Springer vs. Joe Comito
Winner: Niko Springer, 3-0
Springer has shot up the rankings ever since he won a Euro Tour event this year.
He'll be defending very little prize money in 2026, so the WC could be a nice start to a year where he can position himself very high on the rankings.
I don't expect him to have trouble against Comito in this match.
Matt Campbell vs. Adam Sevada
Winner: Matt Campbell, 3-1
Campbell is the player we see most consistently at PDC Tour events from North America.
Campbell will be playing in his seventh consecutive PDC WC, while Sevada is making his debut.
Raymond van Barneveld vs. Stefan Bellmont
Winner: Stefan Bellmont, 3-2
It's been another rough year for van Barneveld, with a lot of first-round exits at majors and at other events.
Stefan Bellmont, who doesn't play as often on tour, will have a shot at making it to the second round, as he enters a very winnable game.
James Wade vs. Ryusei Azemoto
Winner: James Wade, 3-1
In Wade's storied career, he's won a lot of majors, but hasn't won the WC.
He has what should be a simple first-round clash, as long as he plays to the standard we have seen out of him for much of 2025.
Martin Schindler vs. Stephen Burton
Winner: Martin Schindler, 3-0
Schindler has yet to break out on the WC stage, but will look to change things this year with a win in the opening round against a player with just two career WC appearances.
Callan Rydz vs. Patrik Kovacs
Winner: Callan Rydz, 3-0
Rydz exploded at Ally Pally last year, making it all the way to the quarterfinals.
He had four of the top six highest single-game averages among all participants at the WC last year.
He hasn't been able to carry the momentum from that campaign through other tournaments, but could have another shot at a similar run if he plays near the same standard.
Thibault Tricole vs. Motomu Sakai
Winner: Thibault Tricole, 3-1
Tricole had an unfortunate draw last year, winning on Day 1, but losing on the same day in the second round against the defending champion at the time, Luke Humphries.
He'll look to advance to another second round, where this time around, he'd have either Ross Smith or Andreas Harrysson instead of a world number one as his next opponent.
Ryan Joyce vs. Owen Bates
Winner: Ryan Joyce, 3-1
Bates will return to the WC after a first-round exit in 2024.
He's played on the Pro Tour, but we haven't seen much of Bates at on-stage events yet, as he's only 22 years old.
2025 wasn't a poor year at all for Joyce, highlighted by a great run at the WC when he almost beat Luke Littler in the fourth round.
Joyce can be lethal when his scoring is quality, as he's always a dependable player on the doubles.
Mike De Decker vs. David Munyua
Winner: Mike De Decker, 3-0
Munyua became the first Kenyan darts player to qualify for a PDC WC.
He didn't receive a favorable draw, as he'll play one of Belgium's premier players in the first round.
De Decker hasn't played anywhere near as steadily as he would have wished to play coming off his World Grand Prix title last year.
Either way, I still expect him to win this game, as long as we see at least his 'B' game.
Jermaine Wattimena vs. Dominik Grullich
Winner: Jermaine Wattimena, 3-1
Wattimena has made some nice progress in the last year or two, surging up the standings, with little prize money to defend in the first half of 2026.
Grullich qualified through the Pro Tour OoM, with a runner-up finish at PC 14 as his most notable event.
His scoring recently suggests he won't be too far off from Wattimena, but it would be a tall task for the 23-year-old German to beat an in-form Wattimena.
Dave Chisnall vs. Fallon Sherrock
Winner: Fallon Sherrock, 3-2
Chisnall has had a painful last 20ish months on tour.
He's failed to make it past the first or second round in almost every major, except the UK Open.
We know what Sherrock has done on this stage before, so the result of this game feels like it will be impacted more by the form of Sherrock compared to that of Chisnall.
Michael van Gerwen vs. Mitsuhiko Tatsunami
Winner: Michael van Gerwen, 3-0
It's tough to get a read on Tatsunami, who has mostly played very short games on the Japan Tour, but I think it's safe to take van Gerwen in the first round either way.
The 2011 PDC WC was the last time that MVG didn't play past the first round at a WC.
Krzysztof Ratajski vs. Alexis Toylo
Winner: Krzysztof Ratajski, 3-1
We've seen some glimpses of what Toylo can do and he's been pretty solid.
He's often knocked for being a slow-paced player, as we saw at the Grand Slam of Darts this year and at the PDC WC last in 2025, but he can still be impressive despite taking extra time.
Ratajski has made three consecutive third-round appearances at this tournament, so I think there's a better chance of that happening again rather than an early exit for him against Toylo.
Kevin Doets vs. Matthew Dennant
Winner: Kevin Doets, 3-1
Doets has never failed to be an entertainer at Ally Pally.
He had an epic run last year, with memorable games and performances against Michael Smith and Krzysztof Ratajski.
Dennant has been solid in shorter format games, but we've yet to see how he plays in longer games like the one he's set to play against Doets.
Ryan Meikle vs. Jesus Salate
Winner: Jesus Salate, 3-2
Salate was impressive at the World Cup this summer, being a part of the debutant Argentina duo that made it out of their group and into the knockout stage.
Meikle has had a quiet 2025, which sets up a potential tight clash between these two players, especially since Salate hasn't been too bad on the CDLC circuit.
Mickey Mansell vs. Leonard Gates
Winner: Leonard Gates, 3-2
Mansell will be playing in his 10th career match at the PDC WC. He's never made it past the second round.
Gates, on the other hand, will be playing in his third career PDC WC, making it past the first round in both of his previous appearances.
The Ally Pally crowd seemed to embrace Gates well last year, so we could be in for another game where the crowd is behind the fan favorite.
Josh Rock vs. Gemma Hayter
Winner: Josh Rock, 3-0
This WC has one of the highest totals we've seen at a PDC WC when it comes to women competing.
Unfortunately, it's highly unlikely this one goes the way of Hayter, given how well Rock has played, even in games he's been below his standard.
William O'Connor vs. Krzysztof Kciuk
Winner: William O'Connor, 3-1
Kciuk qualified through the Polish qualifier route.
We've seen a wide range of averages from him, from the low 70s, all the way to the 90s.
He hasn't had any notable runs at his two PDC WC appearances, so it seems safe to pick O'Connor as the veteran to take home the win.
Daryl Gurney vs. Beau Greaves
Winner: Beau Greaves, 3-2
It's been an average year for Gurney as an individual, outside of his World Cup win this summer.
He's made a pair of quarterfinal runs at majors, but didn't produce anything too special on the Pro Tour.
Greaves has been one of the most talked-about players entering this WC, as she's played some incredible darts recently at the PDC Youth Championship and at the Grand Slam of Darts.
This will be Greaves' second appearance at the WC, playing previously in 2021 when she lost in the first round against William O'Connor.
Nathan Aspinall vs. Lourence Ilagan
Winner: Nathan Aspinall, 3-1
Aspinall is coming off a final appearance at the PC Finals, so he should feel motivated and confident going into the WC.
He made it all the way to the quarterfinals at last year's WC, so he'll have aspirations of a similar run to rebound from the prize money he's lost in recent months.
Ilagan is a quality opponent, so it won't be a cakewalk for 'The Asp', but he's more than capable of getting through.
Keane Barry vs. Tim Pusey
Winner: Keane Barry, 3-2
Barry still hasn't quite broken out on the scene yet, despite some good results at the PDC Youth Championship and at the UK Open earlier in his career.
He's slightly more consistent than Pusey is when it comes to scoring, although Pusey has been impressive on the ADA Tour and at the ANZ Premier League recently.
Expect a close game, but I see Barry coming through here.
More darts articles:
- Every darts player who's qualified for the 2026 PDC World Championship
- 7 darts players who could be in Premier League Darts one day
- Every PDC player's walk-on entrance song
- Watch: Luke Littler hits nine-darter in one of the greatest legs of all time against Josh Rock
- PDC World Championship to be streamed on Peacock