Littler, Humphries, Van Veen and Van Gerwen the top seeds in World Matchplay field

[p]The 32-player lineup was finalised following the conclusion of Players Championship 24 in Leicester on Tuesday. It comprises the top 16 players from the world rankings, who are seeded, and the top 16 players from the one-year ProTour rankings, who qualify unseeded.[/p][p]The players will compete for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/taylor-phil/fi5POt44/"]Phil Taylor[/a] Trophy in an event with a total prize fund of £1 million.[/p][embed guid="cb04b755-66a4-486b-82c3-8ed21cef3fba" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2074791413900861682" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/littler-luke/0URN6Xks/"]Littler[/a], the world champion, is bidding to become only the fourth player to retain the World Matchplay title, following Phil Taylor, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rod-harrington/80X4zDF7/"]Rod Harrington[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-gerwen-michael/SU4UkKsm/"]Michael van Gerwen[/a]. He won last year's final 18-13 against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wade-james/MRrXjBAB/"]James Wade[/a], having trailed 5-0 at one stage.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/humphries-luke/n34VOAWo/"]Luke Humphries[/a], champion in 2024, is seeded second. Dutch number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-veen-gian/jgT1AT29/"]Gian van Veen[/a] is seeded third, with three-time champion Michael van Gerwen fourth.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clayton-jonny/tx0y2xRD/"]Jonny Clayton[/a] and Wade are seeded fifth and sixth, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/price-gerwyn/8dDDoW0B/"]Gerwyn Price[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rock-josh/xKxxNY1P/"]Josh Rock[/a] completing the top eight.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bunting-stephen/xANKMtPG/"]Stephen Bunting[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/noppert-danny/YmMfGEz0/"]Danny Noppert[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/searle-ryan/UFF3Eh5C/"]Ryan Searle[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anderson-gary/MyKZZS6r/"]Gary Anderson[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dobey-chris/dWj1FjDn/"]Chris Dobey[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nijman-wessel/xCX137Ee/"]Wessel Nijman[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smith-ross/l8mIsYNm/"]Ross Smith[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aspinall-nathan/KURJJrU5/"]Nathan Aspinall[/a] make up the remaining seeded places.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/woodhouse-luke/QyQzAjPh/"]Luke Woodhouse[/a] heads the 16 ProTour qualifiers after finishing runner-up to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clemens-gabriel/fNei7lJH/"]Gabriel Clemens[/a] in the Players Championship 24 final.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wattimena-jermaine/0hcDtau6/"]Jermaine Wattimena[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doets-kevin/I14LCcyQ/"]Kevin Doets[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cross-rob/zs8lbtNH/"]Rob Cross[/a] are among the other qualifiers, with Doets, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/o-connor-william/pSbuZfV4/"]William O'Connor[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/springer-niko/t6zcTJUa/"]Niko Springer[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zonneveld-niels/MeTrr5Fk/"]Niels Zonneveld[/a] all set to make their World Matchplay debuts.[/p][embed guid="ecd71da5-6e5d-44a5-a3b2-e69bbbfc4321" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2074561006164918464" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chisnall-dave/vRDFv29c/"]Dave Chisnall[/a] secured the final qualifying spot on the last day of eligibility, extending his run of consecutive World Matchplay qualifications to 16 years. His qualification came at the expense of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gurney-daryl/UBbHHv2p/"]Daryl Gurney[/a], who was beaten in the first round of Players Championship 24 and will miss the tournament for the first time since 2015.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wright-peter/C4FCwGRt/"]Peter Wright[/a], the 2021 champion, also failed to qualify, missing out for the first time since 2012.[/p][p]The full list of ProTour qualifiers is completed by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilding-andrew/x2eT5hRq/"]Andrew Gilding[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ratajski-krzysztof/jNZjSeIT/"]Krzysztof Ratajski[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schindler-martin/pWemrnqQ/"]Martin Schindler[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joyce-ryan/tYs5VMm6/"]Ryan Joyce[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-duijvenbode-dirk/fVUrttSI/"]Dirk van Duijvenbode[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/menzies-cameron/2NUpDqVt/"]Cameron Menzies[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cullen-joe/A5nTHxhe/"]Joe Cullen[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/heta-damon/GYfQQCI6/"]Damon Heta[/a].[/p][p]The draw for the tournament will be made on Thursday, July 9th, with each seeded player drawn against one of the 16 ProTour qualifiers in the first round.[/p]