When Luke Littler stepped onto the stage in Blackpool for the World Matchplay, he made it unmistakably clear that the results of this event would shape the trajectory of his entire 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 achieve a clean sweep of the major PDC titles in a single calendar year, and the Blackpool tournament represented the pivotal piece of that puzzle.
He not only delivered the win he needed, but he did so in spectacular fashion, dispatching Gerwyn Price 18‑9 and posting a record‑breaking average of 111.53 in the final – the highest ever recorded in a major final to date. In addition to the historic average, Littler smashed his own tournament record for 180s, upping his tally from 64 in 2025 to an astonishing 66 in 2026.
That consistency of high scoring under pressure helped him become only the fourth player ever to claim back‑to‑back World Matchplay titles, and the first to repeat the feat in a decade. His dominance was evident throughout the week. He opened with a 109+ average against Niko Springer, followed by a 113‑average performance that included a nine‑dart finish against Nathan Aspinall. He kept the momentum going with another 109 average versus Josh Rock before crushing Dirk van Duijvenbode to secure his place in the final.
Such a string of high‑quality displays left little doubt that he was the player to beat. With the Matchplay now added to his résumé, Littler’s trophy cabinet for 2026 already contains the World Darts Championship, the UK Open, the Premier League, the Masters and the Matchplay. Rather than taking a celebratory holiday in Spain, his focus now turns to Leicester, where he will look to add the Players Championship Finals to his growing list. The Minehead event, scheduled for the end of November, will be the final major he needs to complete the clean sweep.
However, qualification is not yet guaranteed. Littler currently sits about £22,500 short of the projected £30,000 threshold required to earn a place, with ten Players Championship events still to play in the season.
He has already ruled out the Hildesheim tournaments on July 28‑29, meaning his next chance to earn qualifying money comes at Players Championships 27 and 28 in Leicester on August 25‑26. Two further events in Leicester on November 4‑5 are also on his radar, and he has indicated he will likely target those four tournaments to bridge the gap. Each Players Championship offers £15,000 for the champion, £10,000 for the runner‑up and £6,500 for a semi‑finalist.
To reach the qualification mark, Littler will probably need at least one title win and another deep run, though a scenario requiring two or three victories is not out of the question, especially if other competitors accumulate significant prize money. Beyond the Players Championships, Littler’s schedule remains packed with high‑profile majors. The World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam (September 17‑20) will be his next test.
He fell just short of defending that title in 2025, losing to Michael van Gerwen, but he captured it the year before by beating Michael Smith 11‑4. A strong showing in Amsterdam could provide both confidence and valuable ranking points.
The next televised PDC major is the BoyleSports World Grand Prix at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena (September 28‑October 4). As the defending champion after last year’s victory over Luke Humphries in the double‑in, double‑out format, Littler will be eager to retain the crown. By this point in the season, he will have already participated in at least two Players Championship events, giving him a clearer picture of his qualification status for Minehead.
One major still eludes him: the European Championship in Dortmund (October 22‑25). In 2025, Gian van Veen shocked the field by beating Humphries 11‑10 to claim his first major, while Littler exited in the last‑16 after a 10‑7 defeat to James Wade.
A deep run or a win in Dortmund could be the extra boost he needs to secure the remaining £7,500‑plus required for the Players Championship Finals slot. The calendar then moves to the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton (November 14‑22). Littler entered the 2025 edition as the defending champion, having beaten Humphries 16‑11, and will aim to replicate that success.
By the time the Grand Slam concludes, he will have exhausted all opportunities to qualify for the Minehead event, making the outcome of his remaining Players Championship outings crucial. Assuming he meets the qualification criteria, Littler will travel to Minehead for the Players Championship Finals (November 27‑29). He won the 2025 edition by defeating Nathan Aspinall 11‑8, and a successful defence would mark the penultimate step toward his clean sweep.
Littler has openly expressed his desire to win three consecutive Players Championship Finals, a feat that would mirror the dominance of legends like Phil Taylor. "I’ve always said I want to win 16 Matchplays, 16 Worlds and then see what else Phil Taylor achieved," he remarked. Achieving three straight titles at darts’ most prestigious venue would not only cement his 2026 season as historic but also set him on course for an unprecedented back‑to‑back clean sweep spanning 2026 and 2027.
If everything falls into place – the Matchplay triumph, the Grand Slam victory, the European Championship run, the World Series win, and a successful defence of the Players Championship Finals – Littler would become the first player since Phil Taylor in 2006 to capture the Players Championship Finals three times on the spin. Such a trophy haul would be a remarkable launchpad for the next phase of his career, cementing his status as one of the sport’s all‑time greats and giving fans a compelling narrative to follow into 2027.