The 2025 edition of the PDC World Matchplay officially got underway yesterday evening and it is a tournament which every professional player is desperate to win.
Second only to the PDC World Championship in terms of prestige, the Matchplay pits 32 of the best dartsmiths in the world against each other in a single-elimination tournament at the Winter Gardens complex in the city of Blackpool.
Due to the smaller field of players, high-quality and evenly-matched contests are present throughout the course of the entire event.
It also makes the tournament very difficult to win and those who do go on to lift the trophy are immortalised in the world of darts.
So, with the Matchplay set to take the sporting world by storm for the next week or so, we take a look at the previous winners.
And if you wish to take part in online betting on the Matchplay, NetBet offers a range of darts odds on all the matches taking place, with our Cash Out feature available to use if your bet is coming in with time still left in the contest.
Phil Taylor – 16 wins
The tournament is difficult to win, but Taylor was so good in his prime that he made it look easy. Annoyingly easy, in truth.
Taylor’s first victory came way back in 1995, when he defeated Dennis Priestley in the final.
He went on to win 14 of the next 19 Matchplay tournaments, with his last victory coming in 2017, when he beat Peter Wright 18-8 with a ridiculous three-dart average of 104.24.
Will his record ever be beaten? Probably not, even in the Luke Littler era.
Michael van Gerwen – 3 wins
Van Gerwen has the prestigious honour of being the only man to beat Taylor in a Matchplay final, a feat he achieved in 2016 when the Green Machine was at the peak of his darting powers.
The Dutchman’s first triumph came in 2015 and he then reigned supreme in Blackpool again in 2022, beating Gerwyn Price 18-14 in a fantastic final.
Still only 36, Van Gerwen has a great chance of adding to his Matchplay trophy collection.
Rod Harrington – 2 wins
Before Taylor’s era of total dominance, Harrington won back-to-back Matchplays in 1998 and 1999.
The Englishman beat Ronnie Baxter and Peter Manley in consecutive finals, each of them by a 19-17 scoreline.
Interestingly, Harrington failed to win any other PDC major, finishing as runner-up at both the 1995 World Championship and 1998 World Grand Prix.
Who else has won the World Matchplay?
Amazingly, only three players have won the Matchplay more than once prior to the start of the 2025 tournament.
However, 10 other players have lifted the trophy in Blackpool.
Reigning champion Luke Humphries is joined by a strong English contingent of James Wade, Nathan Aspinall, Rob Cross, Colin Lloyd and Peter Evison.
Two Scottish players have won the Matchplay in Gary Anderson and Peter Wright, two players who also boast multiple World Championship victories.
Outside of British shores, Belgium’s Dimitri van den Bergh and the United States of America’s Larry Butler have each held the trophy aloft in Blackpool.
So, that is it. Will we see a new winner crowned in 2025?
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