2027 IDF World Darts Championship: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox individual darts tournament|tournament_name=2026 IDF World Darts Championship|image=|dates=December 10, 2025 – January 7, 2026|venue=[[Winter Gardens, Blackpool|Winter Gardens]]|location=[[Blackpool]], England|organisation=[[International Darts Federation (IDF)|International Darts Federation]] (IDF)|format=Sets|prize_fund=$5,000,000|winners_share=$1,000,000|nine_dart=|high_checkout=|winner=<!--'''[[NAME]]'''-->|prev=[[2026 IDF World Darts Championship|2026]]|next=[[2028 IDF World Darts Championship|2028]]}}
{{Infobox individual darts tournament
| tournament_name = 2027 IDF World Darts Championship
| dates = 12 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
| venue = [[Alexandra Palace]]
| location = [[London]], England
| organisation = [[International Darts Federation|IDF]]
| format = Sets
| prize_fund = £3,500,000
| winners_share = £750,000
| defending_champion = [[Logan White]]
| prev = [[2026 IDF World Darts Championship|2026]]
| next = [[2028 IDF World Darts Championship|2028]]
}}


The '''2027 IDF World Darts Championship''' is an upcoming professional [[darts]] tournament that will be held in December 2026 to January 2027 at [[Alexandra Palace]] in [[London, England]]. It will be the 5th [[IDF World Darts Championship|World Darts Championship]] to be organised by the [[International Darts Federation]] and the 5th to be held at Alexandra Palace. The winner will receive $1,000,000 from a total prize fund of $5,000,000.
The '''2027 IDF World Darts Championship''' will be a professional [[darts]] tournament organised by the [[International Darts Federation]] (IDF), scheduled to take place from 12 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 at [[Alexandra Palace]] in [[London]], England.


The tournament will feature 96 players, down from 128 in the 2026 edition.  
[[Logan White]] is the defending champion, having defeated [[Max Mad]] 7–6 in the [[2026 IDF World Darts Championship|2026 final]].
 
The tournament will feature 96 players, reduced from the 128-player field used in 2026. The top 32 players on the [[IDF Order of Merit]] will be seeded and enter the tournament in the second round, while the remaining 64 players will contest the first round.
 
All matches will be played using set play, with each set contested over the best of five legs. Match lengths will increase progressively during the later stages of the tournament, with the final being played over the best of 15 sets.
 
==Background==
 
===Format===
The 2027 championship will feature 96 players, a reduction of 32 from the 128-player field used at the 2026 tournament.
 
The top 32 players on the IDF Order of Merit following the [[2026 IDF Players Championship Finals]] will be seeded. All 32 seeds will receive a first-round bye and enter the tournament in the second round.
 
The remaining 64 players will begin in the first round, producing 32 winners who will each face one of the seeded players in the second round.
 
From the second round onwards, the tournament will operate as a conventional 64-player knockout bracket.
 
All matches will be played in sets. Every set will be played over the best of five legs, with the first player to win three legs winning the set.
 
Unlike the short-set format introduced at the 2026 Players Championship Finals, sets at the World Championship therefore retain the traditional best-of-five-leg structure.
 
The match lengths are:
 
* First round: best of 5 sets – first to 3
* Second round: best of 5 sets – first to 3
* Third round: best of 7 sets – first to 4
* Fourth round: best of 7 sets – first to 4
* Quarter-finals: best of 9 sets – first to 5
* Semi-finals: best of 11 sets – first to 6
* Final: best of 15 sets – first to 8
 
The increased length of the latter stages represents a change from the 2026 championship, whose final was played over the best of 13 sets. The 2027 final can therefore run to a maximum of 15 sets and 75 legs.
 
The player throwing first in the opening set will be determined by the pre-match bull. The right to throw first will alternate at the beginning of each subsequent set.
 
There will be no tie-break extension within an individual set. If a set reaches two legs apiece, the fifth leg will decide the set.
 
===Player count===
The championship will feature 96 players.
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Entry route
! Players
|-
| Seeded – IDF Order of Merit top 32
| 32
|-
| Unseeded IDF Order of Merit qualifiers
| 32
|-
| IDF ProTour qualifiers
| 16
|-
| International qualifiers
| 8
|-
| World Championship final qualifiers
| 8
|-
! Total
! 96
|}
 
The reduction from 128 to 96 players was accompanied by the return of first-round byes for the 32 seeded players. Unseeded players must therefore win a first-round match before facing a seed.
 
===Prize money===
The total prize fund will be £3,500,000, the largest prize fund of the 2026–27 IDF season.
 
The champion will receive £750,000.
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Stage
! Prize money
! Players
! Total
|-
| Winner
| £750,000
| 1
| £750,000
|-
| Runner-up
| £350,000
| 1
| £350,000
|-
| Semi-finalists
| £200,000
| 2
| £400,000
|-
| Quarter-finalists
| £100,000
| 4
| £400,000
|-
| Fourth round
| £50,000
| 8
| £400,000
|-
| Third round
| £25,000
| 16
| £400,000
|-
| Second round
| £15,000
| 32
| £480,000
|-
| First round
| £10,000
| 32
| £320,000
|-
! colspan="3" | Total
! £3,500,000
|}
 
All prize money earned at the championship will count towards the IDF Order of Merit.
 
Players seeded directly into the second round will be guaranteed at least £15,000, while unseeded players eliminated in the first round will receive £10,000.
 
===Qualification===
Qualification was divided between the IDF Order of Merit, the IDF ProTour, international qualification routes and the final World Championship qualifier.
 
The top 32 players on the IDF Order of Merit qualified as seeded players and will enter in the second round.
 
The next 32 highest-ranked eligible players on the Order of Merit qualified as unseeded players.
 
A further 16 places were awarded through the 2026 IDF ProTour rankings to players who had not already qualified through the main Order of Merit.
 
Eight international places were awarded through designated regional qualifying events.
 
The remaining eight places were decided at the IDF World Championship Final Qualifier.
 
==Seeds==
The top 32 players on the IDF Order of Merit following the Players Championship Finals were seeded.
 
All seeded players will enter in the second round.
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Seed
! Player
|-
| 1
| Logan White
|-
| 2
| Alex Brow
|-
| 3
| Max Mad
|-
| 4
| Parker Reeves
|-
| 5
| Quinn Sanders
|-
| 6
| Elias Storm
|-
| 7
| Duncan MacLeod
|-
| 8
| Wyatt Walker
|-
| 9
| Jeroen van Dijk
|-
| 10
| Hunter Jackson
|-
| 11
| Jack Mercer
|-
| 12
| Rhys Morgan
|-
| 13
| Nathan Owens
|-
| 14
| Harry Lewis
|-
| 15
| Benjamin Carter
|-
| 16
| Ryan Thomas
|-
| 17
| Niklas Hofer
|-
| 18
| Kai Mitchell
|-
| 19
| Callum Pike
|-
| 20
| Bram De Waal
|-
| 21
| Ethan Mitchell
|-
| 22
| Blake Carter
|-
| 23
| Cole Hamilton
|-
| 24
| Noah Parker
|-
| 25
| Jamie Fletcher
|-
| 26
| Sean Donovan
|-
| 27
| Oliver Bartlett
|-
| 28
| Lewis Moorcroft
|-
| 29
| Lukas Weber
|-
| 30
| Matteo Vermeulen
|-
| 31
| Connor Hayes
|-
| 32
| Daniel McKenna
|}
 
==Qualified players==


[[Logan White]] is the defending champion, having defeated [[Max Mad]] 7–6 in the [[2026 IDF World Darts Championship|2026 final]].
===Seeded players===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Seed
! Player
! Qualification
|-
| 1 || Logan White || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 2 || Alex Brow || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 3 || Max Mad || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 4 || Parker Reeves || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 5 || Quinn Sanders || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 6 || Elias Storm || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 7 || Duncan MacLeod || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 8 || Wyatt Walker || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 9 || Jeroen van Dijk || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 10 || Hunter Jackson || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 11 || Jack Mercer || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 12 || Rhys Morgan || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 13 || Nathan Owens || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 14 || Harry Lewis || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 15 || Benjamin Carter || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 16 || Ryan Thomas || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 17 || Niklas Hofer || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 18 || Kai Mitchell || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 19 || Callum Pike || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 20 || Bram De Waal || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 21 || Ethan Mitchell || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 22 || Blake Carter || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 23 || Cole Hamilton || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 24 || Noah Parker || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 25 || Jamie Fletcher || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 26 || Sean Donovan || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 27 || Oliver Bartlett || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 28 || Lewis Moorcroft || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 29 || Lukas Weber || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 30 || Matteo Vermeulen || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 31 || Connor Hayes || IDF Order of Merit
|-
| 32 || Daniel McKenna || IDF Order of Merit
|}


== Overview ==
===Unseeded Order of Merit qualifiers===
The [[International Darts Federation]] (IDF) was founded in 2022 to provide greater opportunities for players outside the established [[Professional Darts Corporation]] (PDC) system, particularly in Australia, where many competitors identified as casual or semi-professional sought access to major events with comparable prize funds. The federation staged its inaugural [[IDF World Darts Championship]] in [[2023 IDF World Darts Championship|2023]], with [[Alexandra Palace]] in London serving as the host venue since the beginning.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! OOM position
! Player
|-
| 33 || Mason Kelly
|-
| 34 || Cameron Reid
|-
| 35 || Adrian Smit
|-
| 36 || Tyler Grant
|-
| 37 || Scott Brennan
|-
| 38 || Marcus Cole
|-
| 39 || Owen Griffiths
|-
| 40 || Dylan Brooks
|-
| 41 || Theo Walsh
|-
| 42 || Mitchell Kerr
|-
| 43 || Leon Price
|-
| 44 || Reece Palmer
|-
| 45 || Patrick Byrne
|-
| 46 || Kevin Van Leeuwen
|-
| 47 || Stefan Müller
|-
| 48 || Marco Bellini
|-
| 49 || Finn O'Connor
|-
| 50 || Jan Verbeek
|-
| 51 || Toby Richards
|-
| 52 || Aaron Doyle
|-
| 53 || Luke Harrington
|-
| 54 || Niels Bakker
|-
| 55 || George Chambers
|-
| 56 || Kieran Walsh
|-
| 57 || Ruben Meijer
|-
| 58 || Isaac Bennett
|-
| 59 || Charlie Sutton
|-
| 60 || Jordan Ellis
|-
| 61 || Simon Ward
|-
| 62 || Harvey Nolan
|-
| 63 || Adam Fletcher
|-
| 64 || Tomás Varga
|}


The upcoming 2027 IDF World Darts Championship will be the fourth edition of the tournament and the fourth consecutive to be held at Alexandra Palace, running from 10 December 2025 to 7 January 2026. A record field of 128 players, including 32 seeds, will compete following the IDF’s March 2025 decision to expand the draw from 96 to 128 entrants; however the 2027 edition will return to 96 players. [[Logan White]] will return as defending champion after defeating [[Max Mad]] 7–6 in the 2026 final to claim his first world title.
===ProTour qualifiers===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Player
! Qualification
|-
| Theo Richardson
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Cameron Price
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Jordan Matthews
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Stefan de Boer
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Owen Carter
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Kyle Brennan
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Matthew Haines
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Jamie van der Meer
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Liam Davidson
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Dylan Ward
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Oliver Grant
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Marcus Reed
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Finn Jacobs
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Aaron Campbell
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Connor Price
| IDF ProTour
|-
| Nathan Kerr
| IDF ProTour
|}


=== Format ===
===International qualifiers===
Under the new format, all players – including the 32 seeds – will enter the tournament in the first round, a change from previous years where seeds entered in the second round. The 32 seeds will be the top 32 players on the IDF Order of Merit heading into the tournament. The seeded players, plus players ranked 33–64 drawn at random, will be placed on the left hand side of the draw, and will be matched up against the remaining 64 qualifiers drawn at random.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Player
! Region
|-
| Hiroto Tanaka
| Japan
|-
| Min-jae Park
| South Korea
|-
| Liam O'Connell
| Australia
|-
| Caleb Thompson
| New Zealand
|-
| Daniel Morales
| United States
|-
| Javier Ortega
| Spain
|-
| Lars Jørgensen
| Denmark
|-
| Petr Novák
| Czech Republic
|}


All matches will consist of games of 501, where players are required to reduce their score from 501 to zero in order to win a leg, finishing on a double or the bullseye. The matches are played in set format, with the amount of sets required to win a match increasing as the tournament progresses. All sets will be played to the best of five legs in the first round, and also in non-deciding sets of subsequent rounds. In the deciding set of all but the first round, the first player to win at least three legs and be leading by two or more will win the set and the match. If the set reaches a 5–5 tie without a winner, it will be decided by a sudden death leg.
===Final qualifiers===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Round
! Player
!Best of (sets)
! Qualification
!First to (sets)
|-
| Michael Reeves
| Final Qualifier
|-
| Bradley Stone
| Final Qualifier
|-
| Zachary Hughes
| Final Qualifier
|-
|-
|First & second
| Ruben van den Berg
|5
| Final Qualifier
|3
|-
|-
|Third & fourth
| Samuel Price
|7
| Final Qualifier
|4
|-
|-
|Quarter-finals
| Thomas Gallagher
|9
| Final Qualifier
|5
|-
|-
|Semi-finals
| Andrew Collins
|11
| Final Qualifier
|6
|-
|-
|Final
| Martin Vos
|13
| Final Qualifier
|7
|}
|}


=== Ranking ===
==Schedule==
The IDF's main world ranking system, the IDF Order of Merit, is calculated on a two-year cycle. Prize money won by players in ranking tournaments are removed from their ranking after 104 weeks, meaning players who participated in the 2024 World Championship, who did not lose their IDF Tour Card during the two-year period, will be 'defending' their prize money from that event. At the end of the tournament, the prize money won at the 2026 tournament will be added and the prize money won at the 2024 tournament will be removed. After the tournament, the top 64 players in the IDF Order of Merit will receive a one-year extension on their Tour Card, joined by the players who earned two-year Tour Cards in 2025 who will enter their second year in 2026. Players with two or more years on their Tour Card, who finish outside of the top 64, will lose their Tour Card and see their ranking reset to $0, along with all other players who earned prize money in ranking tournaments without holding a Tour Card.
The tournament will be held across 23 calendar days, including a three-day Christmas break and several rest days during the latter stages.


=== Prize money ===
{| class="wikitable"
On 31 March 2025, the IDF announced the biggest prize money increase in the organisation's history, starting from the 2026 season onward. Coinciding with the expansion of the field to 128 players, the World Championship's total prize money and winner's share doubled from $2,500,000 to $5,000,000 and from $500,000 to $1,000,000 respectively; this was the first time the tournament's prize money increased. The winner will also receive the IDF World Trophy. The prize money breakdown is shown below:
! Date
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! Session
! colspan="2" |Position <small>(no. of players)</small>
! Round
!Prize money
! Matches
<small>(Total: $5,000,000)</small>
|-
| 12 December
| Afternoon
| First round
| 8
|-
| 12 December
| Evening
| First round
| 8
|-
|-
|'''Winner'''
| 13 December
|<small>(1)</small>
| Afternoon
|$1,000,000
| First round
| 8
|-
|-
|'''Runner-up'''
| 13 December
|<small>(1)</small>
| Evening
|$400,000
| First round
| 8
|-
|-
|'''Semi-finalists'''
| 14 December
|<small>(2)</small>
| Afternoon
|$200,000
| First round
| 8
|-
|-
|'''Quarter-finalists'''
| 14 December
|<small>(4)</small>
| Evening
|$100,000
| First round
| 8
|-
|-
|'''Fourth round losers'''
| 15 December
|<small>(8)</small>
| Afternoon
|$60,000
| First round
| 8
|-
|-
|'''Third round losers'''
| 15 December
|<small>(16)</small>
| Evening
|$35,000
| First round
| 8
|-
|-
|'''Second round losers'''
| 16 December
|<small>(32)</small>
| Afternoon
|$25,000
| Second round
| 4
|-
|-
|'''First round losers'''
| 16 December
|<small>(64)</small>
| Evening
|$15,000
| Second round
| 4
|-
| 17 December
| Afternoon
| Second round
| 4
|-
| 17 December
| Evening
| Second round
| 4
|-
| 18 December
| Afternoon
| Second round
| 4
|-
| 18 December
| Evening
| Second round
| 4
|-
| 19 December
| Afternoon
| Second round
| 4
|-
| 19 December
| Evening
| Second round
| 4
|-
| 20 December
| Afternoon
| Third round
| 4
|-
| 20 December
| Evening
| Third round
| 4
|-
| 21 December
| Afternoon
| Third round
| 4
|-
| 21 December
| Evening
| Third round
| 4
|-
| 22 December
| Evening
| Fourth round
| 4
|-
| 23 December
| Evening
| Fourth round
| 4
|-
| 24–26 December
| —
| Christmas break
| —
|-
| 27 December
| Evening
| Quarter-finals
| 2
|-
| 28 December
| Evening
| Quarter-finals
| 2
|-
| 29–30 December
| —
| Rest days
| —
|-
| 31 December
| Evening
| Semi-finals
| 2
|-
| 1–2 January
| —
| Rest days
| —
|-
| 3 January
| Evening
| Final
| 1
|}
|}


== Qualification ==
==Round structure==
== Draw ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Round
! Players
! Matches
! Format
! Sets required
|-
| First round
| 64
| 32
| Best of 5 sets
| 3
|-
| Second round
| 64
| 32
| Best of 5 sets
| 3
|-
| Third round
| 32
| 16
| Best of 7 sets
| 4
|-
| Fourth round
| 16
| 8
| Best of 7 sets
| 4
|-
| Quarter-finals
| 8
| 4
| Best of 9 sets
| 5
|-
| Semi-finals
| 4
| 2
| Best of 11 sets
| 6
|-
| Final
| 2
| 1
| Best of 15 sets
| 8
|}
 
==Defending champion==
White enters the tournament as the defending world champion after defeating Mad 7–6 in the 2026 final.
 
The 2026 final went to the 13th and deciding set, with White securing his first IDF World Darts Championship title.
 
As the number one seed, White will receive a first-round bye and enter the tournament in the second round.
 
White enters the championship following another successful season in which he retained the number-one position on the IDF Order of Merit and won the [[2026 IDF European Championship]]. He also reached the final of the [[2026 IDF Players Championship Finals]], losing 7–6 to Brow in the deciding set.
 
==Notable entrants==
Brow enters as the second seed following victories at both the [[2026 IDF Grand Slam of Darts]] and Players Championship Finals. He defeated White during both events, including a 7–6 victory in the Players Championship Finals final.
 
Mad, the third seed, returns after finishing runner-up to White in the 2026 World Championship final. Mad also reached the semi-finals of the 2026 Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals.
 
Storm is seeded sixth. He won the [[2026 IDF World Grand Prix]] before suffering a wrist injury following the tournament and later returned to reach the Grand Slam semi-finals and Players Championship Finals quarter-finals.
 
Van Dijk is seeded ninth after finishing runner-up at the Grand Slam, while Sanders enters as the fifth seed after reaching the semi-finals of the Players Championship Finals.
 
2025 Players Championship Finals runner-up Mitchell is seeded 18th.
 
==Changes from 2026==
The number of players was reduced from 128 to 96.
 
The top 32 seeds will enter in the second round rather than competing from the opening round.
 
The first and second rounds will both be played over the best of five sets.
 
The third and fourth rounds will be played over the best of seven sets.
 
The quarter-finals remain best of nine sets, while the semi-finals will be played over the best of 11.
 
The final has been increased from the best of 13 sets to the best of 15 sets, with the champion required to win eight sets.
 
Each set remains the best of five legs throughout the tournament.
 
The total prize fund has been increased to £3.5 million, with £750,000 awarded to the champion.
 
==Draw==
The first-round draw and seeded second-round placement will be made following confirmation of all 96 qualified players.
 
The 64 unseeded players will be drawn into 32 first-round matches.
 
Each first-round winner will then advance into a predetermined second-round position against one of the 32 seeded players.
 
==References==
{{Reflist}}
 
{{IDF World Darts Championship}}
{{2027 in darts}}
 
[[Category:2027 in darts]]
[[Category:IDF World Darts Championship]]
[[Category:2026 in English sport]]
[[Category:2027 in English sport]]
[[Category:December 2026 sports events in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:January 2027 sports events in the United Kingdom]]

Revision as of 15:20, 18 August 2026

2027 IDF World Darts Championship
Tournament information
Dates12 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
VenueAlexandra Palace
LocationLondon, England
Organisation(s)IDF
FormatSets
Prize fund£3,500,000
Winner's share£750,000
«2026 2028»

The 2027 IDF World Darts Championship will be a professional darts tournament organised by the International Darts Federation (IDF), scheduled to take place from 12 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 at Alexandra Palace in London, England.

Logan White is the defending champion, having defeated Max Mad 7–6 in the 2026 final.

The tournament will feature 96 players, reduced from the 128-player field used in 2026. The top 32 players on the IDF Order of Merit will be seeded and enter the tournament in the second round, while the remaining 64 players will contest the first round.

All matches will be played using set play, with each set contested over the best of five legs. Match lengths will increase progressively during the later stages of the tournament, with the final being played over the best of 15 sets.

Background

Format

The 2027 championship will feature 96 players, a reduction of 32 from the 128-player field used at the 2026 tournament.

The top 32 players on the IDF Order of Merit following the 2026 IDF Players Championship Finals will be seeded. All 32 seeds will receive a first-round bye and enter the tournament in the second round.

The remaining 64 players will begin in the first round, producing 32 winners who will each face one of the seeded players in the second round.

From the second round onwards, the tournament will operate as a conventional 64-player knockout bracket.

All matches will be played in sets. Every set will be played over the best of five legs, with the first player to win three legs winning the set.

Unlike the short-set format introduced at the 2026 Players Championship Finals, sets at the World Championship therefore retain the traditional best-of-five-leg structure.

The match lengths are:

  • First round: best of 5 sets – first to 3
  • Second round: best of 5 sets – first to 3
  • Third round: best of 7 sets – first to 4
  • Fourth round: best of 7 sets – first to 4
  • Quarter-finals: best of 9 sets – first to 5
  • Semi-finals: best of 11 sets – first to 6
  • Final: best of 15 sets – first to 8

The increased length of the latter stages represents a change from the 2026 championship, whose final was played over the best of 13 sets. The 2027 final can therefore run to a maximum of 15 sets and 75 legs.

The player throwing first in the opening set will be determined by the pre-match bull. The right to throw first will alternate at the beginning of each subsequent set.

There will be no tie-break extension within an individual set. If a set reaches two legs apiece, the fifth leg will decide the set.

Player count

The championship will feature 96 players.

Entry route Players
Seeded – IDF Order of Merit top 32 32
Unseeded IDF Order of Merit qualifiers 32
IDF ProTour qualifiers 16
International qualifiers 8
World Championship final qualifiers 8
Total 96

The reduction from 128 to 96 players was accompanied by the return of first-round byes for the 32 seeded players. Unseeded players must therefore win a first-round match before facing a seed.

Prize money

The total prize fund will be £3,500,000, the largest prize fund of the 2026–27 IDF season.

The champion will receive £750,000.

Stage Prize money Players Total
Winner £750,000 1 £750,000
Runner-up £350,000 1 £350,000
Semi-finalists £200,000 2 £400,000
Quarter-finalists £100,000 4 £400,000
Fourth round £50,000 8 £400,000
Third round £25,000 16 £400,000
Second round £15,000 32 £480,000
First round £10,000 32 £320,000
Total £3,500,000

All prize money earned at the championship will count towards the IDF Order of Merit.

Players seeded directly into the second round will be guaranteed at least £15,000, while unseeded players eliminated in the first round will receive £10,000.

Qualification

Qualification was divided between the IDF Order of Merit, the IDF ProTour, international qualification routes and the final World Championship qualifier.

The top 32 players on the IDF Order of Merit qualified as seeded players and will enter in the second round.

The next 32 highest-ranked eligible players on the Order of Merit qualified as unseeded players.

A further 16 places were awarded through the 2026 IDF ProTour rankings to players who had not already qualified through the main Order of Merit.

Eight international places were awarded through designated regional qualifying events.

The remaining eight places were decided at the IDF World Championship Final Qualifier.

Seeds

The top 32 players on the IDF Order of Merit following the Players Championship Finals were seeded.

All seeded players will enter in the second round.

Seed Player
1 Logan White
2 Alex Brow
3 Max Mad
4 Parker Reeves
5 Quinn Sanders
6 Elias Storm
7 Duncan MacLeod
8 Wyatt Walker
9 Jeroen van Dijk
10 Hunter Jackson
11 Jack Mercer
12 Rhys Morgan
13 Nathan Owens
14 Harry Lewis
15 Benjamin Carter
16 Ryan Thomas
17 Niklas Hofer
18 Kai Mitchell
19 Callum Pike
20 Bram De Waal
21 Ethan Mitchell
22 Blake Carter
23 Cole Hamilton
24 Noah Parker
25 Jamie Fletcher
26 Sean Donovan
27 Oliver Bartlett
28 Lewis Moorcroft
29 Lukas Weber
30 Matteo Vermeulen
31 Connor Hayes
32 Daniel McKenna

Qualified players

Seeded players

Seed Player Qualification
1 Logan White IDF Order of Merit
2 Alex Brow IDF Order of Merit
3 Max Mad IDF Order of Merit
4 Parker Reeves IDF Order of Merit
5 Quinn Sanders IDF Order of Merit
6 Elias Storm IDF Order of Merit
7 Duncan MacLeod IDF Order of Merit
8 Wyatt Walker IDF Order of Merit
9 Jeroen van Dijk IDF Order of Merit
10 Hunter Jackson IDF Order of Merit
11 Jack Mercer IDF Order of Merit
12 Rhys Morgan IDF Order of Merit
13 Nathan Owens IDF Order of Merit
14 Harry Lewis IDF Order of Merit
15 Benjamin Carter IDF Order of Merit
16 Ryan Thomas IDF Order of Merit
17 Niklas Hofer IDF Order of Merit
18 Kai Mitchell IDF Order of Merit
19 Callum Pike IDF Order of Merit
20 Bram De Waal IDF Order of Merit
21 Ethan Mitchell IDF Order of Merit
22 Blake Carter IDF Order of Merit
23 Cole Hamilton IDF Order of Merit
24 Noah Parker IDF Order of Merit
25 Jamie Fletcher IDF Order of Merit
26 Sean Donovan IDF Order of Merit
27 Oliver Bartlett IDF Order of Merit
28 Lewis Moorcroft IDF Order of Merit
29 Lukas Weber IDF Order of Merit
30 Matteo Vermeulen IDF Order of Merit
31 Connor Hayes IDF Order of Merit
32 Daniel McKenna IDF Order of Merit

Unseeded Order of Merit qualifiers

OOM position Player
33 Mason Kelly
34 Cameron Reid
35 Adrian Smit
36 Tyler Grant
37 Scott Brennan
38 Marcus Cole
39 Owen Griffiths
40 Dylan Brooks
41 Theo Walsh
42 Mitchell Kerr
43 Leon Price
44 Reece Palmer
45 Patrick Byrne
46 Kevin Van Leeuwen
47 Stefan Müller
48 Marco Bellini
49 Finn O'Connor
50 Jan Verbeek
51 Toby Richards
52 Aaron Doyle
53 Luke Harrington
54 Niels Bakker
55 George Chambers
56 Kieran Walsh
57 Ruben Meijer
58 Isaac Bennett
59 Charlie Sutton
60 Jordan Ellis
61 Simon Ward
62 Harvey Nolan
63 Adam Fletcher
64 Tomás Varga

ProTour qualifiers

Player Qualification
Theo Richardson IDF ProTour
Cameron Price IDF ProTour
Jordan Matthews IDF ProTour
Stefan de Boer IDF ProTour
Owen Carter IDF ProTour
Kyle Brennan IDF ProTour
Matthew Haines IDF ProTour
Jamie van der Meer IDF ProTour
Liam Davidson IDF ProTour
Dylan Ward IDF ProTour
Oliver Grant IDF ProTour
Marcus Reed IDF ProTour
Finn Jacobs IDF ProTour
Aaron Campbell IDF ProTour
Connor Price IDF ProTour
Nathan Kerr IDF ProTour

International qualifiers

Player Region
Hiroto Tanaka Japan
Min-jae Park South Korea
Liam O'Connell Australia
Caleb Thompson New Zealand
Daniel Morales United States
Javier Ortega Spain
Lars Jørgensen Denmark
Petr Novák Czech Republic

Final qualifiers

Player Qualification
Michael Reeves Final Qualifier
Bradley Stone Final Qualifier
Zachary Hughes Final Qualifier
Ruben van den Berg Final Qualifier
Samuel Price Final Qualifier
Thomas Gallagher Final Qualifier
Andrew Collins Final Qualifier
Martin Vos Final Qualifier

Schedule

The tournament will be held across 23 calendar days, including a three-day Christmas break and several rest days during the latter stages.

Date Session Round Matches
12 December Afternoon First round 8
12 December Evening First round 8
13 December Afternoon First round 8
13 December Evening First round 8
14 December Afternoon First round 8
14 December Evening First round 8
15 December Afternoon First round 8
15 December Evening First round 8
16 December Afternoon Second round 4
16 December Evening Second round 4
17 December Afternoon Second round 4
17 December Evening Second round 4
18 December Afternoon Second round 4
18 December Evening Second round 4
19 December Afternoon Second round 4
19 December Evening Second round 4
20 December Afternoon Third round 4
20 December Evening Third round 4
21 December Afternoon Third round 4
21 December Evening Third round 4
22 December Evening Fourth round 4
23 December Evening Fourth round 4
24–26 December — Christmas break —
27 December Evening Quarter-finals 2
28 December Evening Quarter-finals 2
29–30 December — Rest days —
31 December Evening Semi-finals 2
1–2 January — Rest days —
3 January Evening Final 1

Round structure

Round Players Matches Format Sets required
First round 64 32 Best of 5 sets 3
Second round 64 32 Best of 5 sets 3
Third round 32 16 Best of 7 sets 4
Fourth round 16 8 Best of 7 sets 4
Quarter-finals 8 4 Best of 9 sets 5
Semi-finals 4 2 Best of 11 sets 6
Final 2 1 Best of 15 sets 8

Defending champion

White enters the tournament as the defending world champion after defeating Mad 7–6 in the 2026 final.

The 2026 final went to the 13th and deciding set, with White securing his first IDF World Darts Championship title.

As the number one seed, White will receive a first-round bye and enter the tournament in the second round.

White enters the championship following another successful season in which he retained the number-one position on the IDF Order of Merit and won the 2026 IDF European Championship. He also reached the final of the 2026 IDF Players Championship Finals, losing 7–6 to Brow in the deciding set.

Notable entrants

Brow enters as the second seed following victories at both the 2026 IDF Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals. He defeated White during both events, including a 7–6 victory in the Players Championship Finals final.

Mad, the third seed, returns after finishing runner-up to White in the 2026 World Championship final. Mad also reached the semi-finals of the 2026 Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals.

Storm is seeded sixth. He won the 2026 IDF World Grand Prix before suffering a wrist injury following the tournament and later returned to reach the Grand Slam semi-finals and Players Championship Finals quarter-finals.

Van Dijk is seeded ninth after finishing runner-up at the Grand Slam, while Sanders enters as the fifth seed after reaching the semi-finals of the Players Championship Finals.

2025 Players Championship Finals runner-up Mitchell is seeded 18th.

Changes from 2026

The number of players was reduced from 128 to 96.

The top 32 seeds will enter in the second round rather than competing from the opening round.

The first and second rounds will both be played over the best of five sets.

The third and fourth rounds will be played over the best of seven sets.

The quarter-finals remain best of nine sets, while the semi-finals will be played over the best of 11.

The final has been increased from the best of 13 sets to the best of 15 sets, with the champion required to win eight sets.

Each set remains the best of five legs throughout the tournament.

The total prize fund has been increased to £3.5 million, with £750,000 awarded to the champion.

Draw

The first-round draw and seeded second-round placement will be made following confirmation of all 96 qualified players.

The 64 unseeded players will be drawn into 32 first-round matches.

Each first-round winner will then advance into a predetermined second-round position against one of the 32 seeded players.

References

Template:IDF World Darts Championship Template:2027 in darts

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