When Luke Littler touched down in Blackpool for the World Matchplay, he made one thing unmistakably clear: the outcome of this event would shape the trajectory of his 2026 season. "The next nine days will decide whether I make it to the Players Championship Finals," he told Sky Sports on opening night. "If I don't win this, I won't be back in Minehead for the Finals. If I do win, I'll have to chase Pro Tour events and try to secure a spot." Littler has long spoken about his ambition to complete a clean sweep of major titles in 2026, a goal that hinged on a triumph in Blackpool.
He not only delivered that victory but did so in spectacular fashion, defeating Gerwyn Price 18‑9 and posting a record‑breaking average of 111.53 in the final – the highest ever recorded in a major final. His performance throughout the tournament was equally impressive.
He averaged over 109 against Niko Springer, produced a 113 average plus a nine‑dart finish against Nathan Aspinall, posted another 109 average versus Josh Rock, and then crushed Dirk van Duijvenbode to secure his place in the championship match. In the process, Littler eclipsed his own record for the most 180s in a single tournament, raising the tally from 64 in 2025 to 66 in 2026. The Blackpool win made him only the fourth player in the event’s history to claim back‑to‑back titles, and the first to do so in a decade. It also cemented his status as the dominant force on the circuit, with commentators describing his run as "pure darting dominance." Having already added the World Darts Championship, UK Open, Premier League, and Masters to his résumé, the Matchplay victory placed Littler on the brink of holding every major title within a single calendar year.
Rather than a celebratory holiday in Spain, his next destination will be Leicester, where he hopes to secure the final piece of his clean‑sweep puzzle: the Players Championship Finals in Minehead at the end of November. As of now, Littler remains £22,500 short of the qualification threshold, with ten Players Championship events still to play. He has opted out of the Hildesheim events on July 28‑29, meaning his next chance to earn the necessary prize money comes on August 25‑26 at Players Championships 27 and 28 in Leicester. Two further Leicester events are scheduled for November 4‑5, and Littler has indicated he will likely target those four tournaments to close the gap.
Based on the 2025 qualification figures and the increased prize pool for 2026, the projected cut‑off sits around £30,000. Each event offers £15,000 for the champion, £10,000 for the runner‑up, and £6,500 for a semi‑finalist. Consequently, Littler will probably need at least one outright win and a deep run in another event, though a scenario requiring two titles cannot be ruled out.
The performances of his rivals in the remaining tournaments will also influence the final standings, but Littler knows that at least one victory and a solid run are essential. Beyond the Players Championships, Littler’s schedule includes the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam (September 17‑20). He came within a single match of defending that title, losing to Michael van Gerwen in 2025, after having captured it the previous year by beating Michael Smith 11‑4.
The next televised PDC major is the BoyleSports World Grand Prix, held from September 28 to October 4 at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena. Littler returns as the defending champion after last year’s win over Luke Humphries in the double‑in, double‑out format. By this point in the season he will have competed in at least two Players Championship events, giving him a clearer picture of his qualification prospects for Minehead. The only remaining major that still eludes his collection is the European Championship, scheduled for October 22‑25 in Dortmund.
In 2025, Gian van Veen snatched the title with an 11‑10 victory over Humphries, while Littler bowed out in the last‑16 after a 10‑7 loss to James Wade. Come mid‑November, Littler will travel to Wolverhampton for the Grand Slam of Darts (November 14‑22).
This will be his final opportunity to secure the points or prize money needed for the Players Championship Finals. He entered the 2025 Grand Slam as the defending champion, having beaten Humphries 16‑11, and will be looking to repeat that feat. If his Pro Tour results align, Littler will head to Minehead for the Players Championship Finals on November 27‑29.
He captured that title in 2025 with an 11‑8 win over Nathan Aspinall, and a successful defense would bring his tally of major victories to an unprecedented level. Littler’s ultimate ambition is to win three consecutive Players Championship Finals, thereby completing a historic season haul and setting the stage for back‑to‑back clean sweeps across 2026 and 2027. In 2025 he defeated Van Gerwen; in 2026 he bested Van Veen.
Achieving a third straight victory would make him the first player since Phil Taylor in 2006 to win the Minehead event three times in a row. Reflecting on his goals, Littler said, "I have always said I want to win 16 Matchplays, 16 Worlds, and then see what else Phil Taylor managed to achieve." An unprecedented collection of trophies would not only cement his place among the sport’s legends but also provide a spectacular launchpad into the next season.