IDF World Matchplay
| Founded | 2023 |
|---|---|
| First season | 2023 |
| Organising body | International Darts Federation |
| Country | England |
| Venue(s) | Winter Gardens (2023–) |
| Most recent champion(s) |  Max Mad (2025) |
| TV partner(s) | Sky Sports (2023–) |
| Tournament format | Legs |
 2026 IDF World Matchplay | |
The IDF World Matchplay is a professional darts tournament organised by the International Darts Federation (IDF). Founded in 2025, it is held annually at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, England, and is contested in a legs format. It is one of the IDF's most prestigious ranking events, alongside the IDF World Darts Championship, the IDF Grand Prix of Darts and the IDF Darts Premier League.
The tournament was introduced during the IDF's first full competitive season as a summer major designed to test players across longer legs-only matches. Unlike the set-play format used at the IDF World Darts Championship, the World Matchplay is played entirely in legs, placing greater emphasis on sustained scoring, finishing consistency and momentum over extended match distances.
The inaugural edition was won by Max Mad, who defeated Lukas Parker 18–14 in the 2025 final.
History[edit | edit source]
The IDF World Matchplay was established in 2025 as part of the International Darts Federation's expansion of its professional calendar. The tournament was created to provide the IDF circuit with a summer major played in a traditional legs-only format, contrasting with the set-play structure of the IDF World Darts Championship.
The first edition was staged at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, a venue selected for its association with long-format professional darts. The decision to launch the tournament in England also gave the IDF a permanent major outside Australia, where the World Championship had been established. The tournament immediately became one of the most important events on the IDF Order of Merit because of its large prize fund, ranking value and prime broadcast position.
Max Mad won the inaugural title in 2025, defeating Lukas Parker 18–14 in the final. Mad's victory completed a strong first year on the IDF circuit and helped establish him as one of the organisation's leading early players.
Format[edit | edit source]
The IDF World Matchplay has used a 32-player knockout format since its foundation. The field is made up of the highest-ranked available players from the IDF Order of Merit and selected qualifiers from the IDF Pro Tour and regional ranking events. The top 16 players are seeded.
All matches are played in legs, with each leg played over 501, straight start and double finish. Matches must be won by two clear legs unless the match reaches the maximum extension limit, at which point a deciding leg is played.
| Round | First to legs | Maximum legs before sudden death |
|---|---|---|
| First round | 10 | 24 |
| Second round | 11 | 26 |
| Quarter-finals | 16 | 36 |
| Semi-finals | 17 | 38 |
| Final | 18 | 40 |
Prize money[edit | edit source]
The prize fund increased from £750,000 in 2023 to £1,000,000 in 2026. The 2026 champion received £200,000.
| Year | Total prize fund | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | £750,000 | £150,000 | £70,000 |
| 2024 | £750,000 | £150,000 | £70,000 |
| 2025 | £850,000 | £175,000 | £85,000 |
| 2026 | £1,000,000 | £200,000 | £100,000 |
IDF World Matchplay finals[edit | edit source]
| Year | Champion (average in final) | Score | Runner-up (average in final) | Prize money | Sponsor | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Champion | Runner-up | ||||||
| 2025 | Max Mad (101.42) | 18–14 | Lukas Parker (99.88) | £750,000 | £150,000 | £70,000 | Volterra Energy | Winter Gardens, Blackpool |
| 2026 | – | |||||||
Records and statistics[edit | edit source]
Total finalist appearances[edit | edit source]
| Rank | Player | Winner | Runner-up | Finals | Apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Mad | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Lukas Parker | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
- Active players are shown in bold.
- Only players who reached the final are included.
- In the event of identical records, players are sorted by date first achieved.
Champions by country[edit | edit source]
| Country | Players | Total | First title | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1 | 1 | 2025 | 2025 |
Nine-dart finishes[edit | edit source]
Media coverage[edit | edit source]
The IDF World Matchplay has been broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Sky Sports since the inaugural edition in 2023. International coverage has included streaming through IDF TV and selected regional sports broadcasters. The tournament is usually scheduled in July and is promoted as the IDF's major summer championship.
See also[edit | edit source]
- IDF World Darts Championship
- IDF Darts Premier League
- IDF Grand Prix of Darts
- International Darts Federation
References[edit | edit source]
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