2025 Betfred World Matchplay: Full schedule as Luke Humphries makes defence
Champ Luke Humphries is chasing back-to-back titles in the showpiece 2025 Betfred World Matchplay.
The latest edition of the £800,000 darts event will see the reigning king headline a star-studded 32-player field at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, which also includes seven other World Champions.
Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price will also be amongst the stars in action at the Empress Ballroom across nine days of action from July 19-27.
The first round will see the world's top 16 pitted against the top 16 qualifiers from the one-year ProTour Rankings, with Humphries set to take on World Youth Champion Gian van Veen in a fascinating clash.
Humphries succeeded Nathan Aspinall in becoming World Matchplay champion 12 months ago and the Stockport star opens his title challenge against Dutch debutant Wessel Nijman on a bumper opening night in Blackpool.
2007 champion James Wade will play former Masters champion Joe Cullen in the tournament's opening clash, while 2022 semi-finalist Danny Noppert meets debutant Cameron Menzies in Saturday's other contest.
Sunday's bumper double session will see former World Matchplay winners Rob Cross, Peter Wright and Gary Anderson in action as World Champion Littler sets his sights on a first victory on the iconic Blackpool stage.
Australian No.1 Damon Heta will kick off Sunday afternoon's action against 2024 quarter-finalist Andrew Gilding, as World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker makes his Winter Gardens return against five-time quarter-finalist Dave Chisnall.
Cross and Wright, the winners in 2019 and 2021 respectively, face Dutch duo Dirk van Duijvenbode and Jermaine Wattimena, before 2018 champion Anderson kicks off the evening's proceedings against Luke Woodhouse.
Elsewhere, Stephen Bunting and Ryan Joyce renew their Winter Gardens rivalry after meeting at the same stage last year, while 2023 runner-up Jonny Clayton locks horns with German number one Martin Schindler.
The first round concludes with a blockbuster line-up on Monday evening as three-time winner Van Gerwen takes on 2010 runner-up Raymond van Barneveld in a huge all-Dutch clash.
Sixth seed Chris Dobey gets his campaign underway with a tie against German No.2 Ricardo Pietreczko, before Northern Ireland's World Cup champions Daryl Gurney and Josh Rock enter the fray.
Gurney plays Price for the second straight year, while Rock faces former European Champion Ross Smith in another repeat showdown from 2024.
Following the completion of the first round, the second round will take place on Tuesday July 22 and Wednesday July 23, with the quarter-finals staged on Thursday July 24 and Friday July 25.
The semi-finals will be held on Saturday July 26, before the final takes place on the evening of Sunday July 27, following the fourth edition of the Betfred Women's World Matchplay.
2025 Betfred World Matchplay
Saturday July 19 (7pm)
First Round
James Wade v Joe Cullen
Danny Noppert v Cameron Menzies
Nathan Aspinall v Wessel Nijman
Sunday July 20
Afternoon Session (1pm)
First Round
Damon Heta v Andrew Gilding
Rob Cross v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Peter Wright v Jermaine Wattimena
Dave Chisnall v Mike De Decker
Evening Session (7pm)
First Round
Gary Anderson v Luke Woodhouse
Jonny Clayton v Martin Schindler
Luke Littler v Ryan Searle
Stephen Bunting v Ryan Joyce
Monday July 21 (7pm)
First Round
Chris Dobey v Ricardo Pietreczko
Gerwyn Price v Daryl Gurney
Michael van Gerwen v Raymond van Barneveld
Ross Smith v Josh Rock
Tuesday July 22 (7pm)
Second Round x4 - Match Order TBC
Humphries/Van Veen v Noppert/Menzies
Aspinall/Nijman v Wade/Cullen
Bunting/Joyce v Anderson/Woodhouse
Clayton/Schindler v Chisnall/De Decker
Wednesday July 23 (7pm)
Second Round x4 - Match Order TBC
Littler/Searle v Wright/Wattimena
Heta/Gilding v Cross/Van Duijvenbode
Van Gerwen/Van Barneveld v Smith/Rock
Thursday July 24 (8pm)
Quarter-Finals x2
Friday July 25 (8pm)
Quarter-Finals x2
Saturday July 26 (8pm)
Semi-Finals
Sunday July 27
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Betfred Women's World Matchplay
Quarter-Finals
Beau Greaves v Kirsi Viinikainen
Lisa Ashton v Robyn Byrne
Noa-Lynn van Leuven v Lorraine Winstanley
Fallon Sherrock v Gemma Hayter
Semi-Finals
Greaves/Viinikainen v Ashton/Byrne
Van Leuven/Winstanley v Sherrock/Hayter
Final
Evening Session (8pm)
Betfred World Matchplay Final
WHERE TO WATCH: The Betfred World Matchplay will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).
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