Major darts tournament set to be moved if England reach World Cup final as organisers scramble to avoid disastrous clash

A major scheduling shake-up could hit the World Matchplay if England reach the FIFA World Cup final later this week.

The Three Lions booked their place in the semi-finals after edging Norway 2-1 on Saturday and will now take on reigning world champions Argentina on Wednesday. Victory would send Thomas Tuchel’s side into the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, where they would face either France or Spain in an 8pm BST showdown.

That kick-off clashes directly with the opening weekend of the World Matchplay, prompting the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) to prepare contingency plans.

The PDC has confirmed that if England qualify for the final, the first three sessions of the tournament will be brought forward to avoid overlapping with the football.

Under the revised schedule:

• Session One would move from Saturday, 7pm to Saturday, 1pm.
• Session Two would switch from Sunday, 1pm to Saturday, 7pm.
• Session Three would move from Sunday, 7pm to Sunday, 1pm.

The adjustment would affect several of the sport’s biggest names, including defending champion Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, Stephen Bunting and Gian van Veen, who are all scheduled to play during the opening three sessions.

Fans holding tickets for any affected session would automatically have their tickets transferred to the new time slot. The PDC is expected to confirm the final arrangements on Thursday, July 16, one day after England’s semi-final against Argentina. Refunds will also be available for supporters unable to attend the rescheduled sessions.

Littler returns to Blackpool as the defending World Matchplay champion after a sensational 12 months. The 19-year-old has already captured the World Championship, Masters, UK Open, Premier League and World Cup this season.

The teenage star is now chasing one of the greatest achievements in darts history — winning every televised major in a single calendar year. To complete the clean sweep, he must successfully defend the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals, while also claiming his maiden European Championship title.

World Matchplay schedule (subject to change)

Session One – Saturday, July 18
7pm BST (or 1pm BST if England reach the World Cup final)

• Josh Rock vs Luke Woodhouse
• Stephen Bunting vs Niels Zonneveld
• Luke Littler vs Niko Springer
• Nathan Aspinall vs Joe Cullen

Session Two – Sunday, July 19 (1pm BST)
(or Saturday, July 18, 7pm BST)

• Chris Dobey vs Dirk van Duijvenbode
• Gary Anderson vs Ryan Joyce
• Michael van Gerwen vs Andrew Gilding
• Jonny Clayton vs Damon Heta

Session Three – Sunday, July 19 (7pm BST)
(or Sunday, July 19, 1pm BST)

• Ryan Searle vs William O’Connor
• James Wade vs Jermaine Wattimena
• Gian van Veen vs Krzysztof Ratajski
• Wessel Nijman vs Dave Chisnall

Monday, July 20 – 7pm BST
Round One

• Ross Smith vs Kevin Doets
• Gerwyn Price vs Martin Schindler
• Luke Humphries vs Cameron Menzies
• Danny Noppert vs Rob Cross

Tuesday, July 21 – 7pm BST
Round Two (match order to be confirmed)

• Littler/Springer vs Aspinall/Cullen
• Rock/Woodhouse vs Bunting/Zonneveld
• Van Gerwen/Gilding vs Dobey/Van Duijvenbode
• Clayton/Heta vs Anderson/Joyce

Wednesday, July 22 – 7pm BST
Round Two (match order to be confirmed)

• Humphries/Menzies vs Smith/Doets
• Price/Schindler vs Noppert/Cross
• Van Veen/Ratajski vs Nijman/Chisnall
• Wade/Wattimena vs Searle/O’Connor

Thursday, July 23 – 8pm BST
Quarter-finals

Friday, July 24 – 8pm BST
Quarter-finals

Saturday, July 25 – 8pm BST
Semi-finals

Sunday, July 26

• 1pm–5pm: Betfred Women’s World Matchplay
• 8pm BST: World Matchplay Final