Luke Littler didn’t just win the final of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship — he delivered a performance for the ages. In front of a frenzied Alexandra Palace crowd, the 18-year-old defended his world title in emphatic fashion, defeating Gian van Veen 7–1 in sets to claim the Sid Waddell Trophy back-to-back.

Van Veen struck first, taking the opening set with a clinical 116 finish. For a brief moment, it looked as if the Dutchman might drag the favourite into a real battle. Instead, that early blow appeared to ignite Littler. From that point on, the reigning champion took complete control of the match.

Littler piled on the pressure with relentless scoring, consistently heavy visits and ruthless efficiency on the doubles. What followed was a dominant run of sets that turned the world final into a one-sided affair. Rather than isolated flashes of brilliance, the match became a continuous highlight reel.

One moment stood out above the rest: Littler’s spectacular 170 checkout — a finish that perfectly captured the confidence and swagger with which he played once he hit top gear. Van Veen continued to fight, but Littler’s pace and precision left little room for belief.

The final scoreline told its own story. This was Luke Littler at his absolute peak — setting a new benchmark for the sport and underlining his status as the man everyone must now chase, having conquered the world stage back-to-back.

Day 16 at Ally Pally (Mon 29 Dec 2025) is pure darts-fan heaven: a full double-session with three Round Three matches in the afternoon and then a blockbuster evening that includes **Luke Littler vs Rob Cross** for a quarter-final spot.

Ally Pally Fan Blog: Day 16 Fever

There’s something about this part of the World Championship that hits different. The Christmas leftovers are gone, the bracket is getting serious, and suddenly every set feels like it comes with consequences. Day 16 is stacked as a proper double-session: three Round Three matches in the afternoon, then one more Round Three match and two Round Four clashes at night—best of seven sets all the way.[1]

And yes: it ends with Luke Littler vs Rob Cross. If that doesn’t get the kettle on and the group chat buzzing, nothing will.

The vibe today

This is the stage of the tournament where “good darts” isn’t enough—you need nerve, timing, and that one filthy visit when the match is wobbling. The PDC itself is calling it a bumper day with six matches, and it really feels like the schedule is designed to keep fans glued to the screen from lunchtime to late.

Best of seven sets is the perfect recipe for drama too: long enough for momentum swings, but short enough that one sloppy set can put a favourite right on the edge.

Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)

Three Round Three matches kick off the day session: Justin Hood vs Ryan Meikle, Ricky Evans vs Charlie Manby, and Nathan Aspinall vs Kevin Doets.

From a fan point of view, this is the kind of afternoon where you pick one underdog and emotionally overcommit within five minutes. Hood being on this stage at all is a story in itself, Evans is always chaos (in a good way), and Aspinall vs Doets has “this could get tense fast” written all over it.

Evening session (19:00 GMT)

The night session starts with Josh Rock vs Callan Rydz to finish Round Three, and then Round Four begins immediately after with James Hurrell vs Ryan Searle followed by Luke Littler vs Rob Cross.

Hurrell vs Searle is a fascinating “who blinks first?” matchup, and the PDC even notes this is a shot at the quarter-finals for the first time for both players—exactly the sort of milestone pressure that makes doubles feel twice as narrow.

Littler vs Cross: can’t-miss TV

The PDC frames Littler vs Cross as a clash of former world champions, with Littler returning as the reigning champion and Cross standing in the way of another deep run.

This is the matchup that screams “Ally Pally moment”: Cross has that calm, clinical vibe when everything is loud, and Littler has the kind of scoring power that can turn a set into a blur. The best part as a fan is that it’s not just about averages—this one will be about who lands the big double when the set is on a knife-edge.

Prize money at this year’s Darts World Championship has been increased significantly. The new champion will take home a staggering £1 million. Yet despite that eye-watering prize pot, some players are still “just” doing their regular day jobs — even while the tournament is being played.

For Raymond van Barneveld, the Darts World Championship turned into a nightmare. The five-time world champion suffered a hopeless first-round defeat and then spoke openly about a lack of motivation. Money now appears to be his only reason for carrying on, sport marketer Chris Woerts suggests as well.

There was little joy for top dart player Callan Rydz after he beat Daryl Gurney in a brilliant match at the Darts World Championship. At the time, the Englishman’s grandfather was fighting for his life. A few days later, the news turned grim: Rydz’s grandfather has passed away.

Wesley Plaisier has delivered the biggest Dutch upset so far at the Darts World Championship. The 35-year-old threw a 3–0 sets win over former world champion Gerwyn Price. Afterwards, Plaisier received a flood of congratulations — including from a much-talked-about footballer. “Of course I’ve been disappointed in him at times, ” he said.

Next year’s Darts World Championship (2026–27) will feature an even more diverse field. While there was room for just one African player this year, the next edition will add an extra qualifier from the continent.

After Christmas, the Darts World Championship resumes with 32 top players still in the running — including six Dutchmen. That also means nine Dutch players have already been knocked out. How much prize money did they take home? And how much is still up for grabs for the Dutch players who remain in the tournament?

It was one of the most nail-biting matches at the Darts World Championship so far: the clash between Danny Noppert and Justin Hood. The relatively unknown Englishman kept his nerve superbly in the closing stages, but earlier in the match he couldn’t control himself. He produced a “curious” moment, leaving British commentators shocked.

Michael van Gerwen may have wobbled in the opening round of the World Darts Championship, but on Tuesday he showed he still has to be taken seriously. The three-time world champion produced a strong performance against William O’Connor — much to the delight of Vincent van der Voort. “This is how you want to see him, ” the former pro dart player said on the Sportnieuws.nl podcast WK Darts Draait Door.

The Dutch are doing well at the Darts World Championship. With Christmas approaching, no fewer than six Dutch players will be back on stage at Ally Pally in the days between the holidays. Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen have made an excellent impression so far — as has Luke Littler. Check the remaining schedule and all results from the Darts World Championship here.

Michael van Gerwen has made it crystal clear what he thinks of rival Peter Wright, using words that left little room for interpretation. The Dutchman was set to face the two-time world champion in the third round, but Wright lost in sensational fashion to German debutant Arno Merk. Van Gerwen, meanwhile, cruised through his own match and had a pointed message for his old rival.

It doesn’t happen often, but Michael van Gerwen has switched equipment again at the World Darts Championship. The Dutchman had no trouble at all with William O’Connor in the second round and revealed afterwards that he’d made a change. Fans will see more of it in the third round.

The familiar sounds are back. The roar of the crowd, the unmistakable thud of tungsten hitting sisal, and the booming voice of the master of ceremonies echoing through Alexandra Palace. The festive season has truly begun, not with sleigh bells, but with the explosive start of the PDC World Darts Championship.

Tonight, the stage was set for a classic Ally Pally drama. We saw seasoned veterans return to the place where legends are made, their focus unwavering amidst the electrifying atmosphere. Alongside them, a new generation of darting talent, eyes wide with a mix of nerves and ambition, stepped into the spotlight for the first time. The international qualifiers, representing countries from across the globe, are all here with one shared dream: to cause an upset and etch their name in history.

The opening night didn't disappoint. A nail-biting final-leg decider in the second match had the crowd on their feet, and a tantalizing eight perfect darts in the final game of the evening left everyone breathless—a sign of the incredible standard we can expect over the coming weeks. This is just the beginning. The road to the final is long, paved with pressure, moments of genius, and inevitable heartbreak.

Who will handle the heat? Who will falter? And who will be the last one standing to lift the iconic Sid Waddell Trophy in the new year? Strap in, the darting rollercoaster has left the station.

Luke Littler delivered a stunning performance to defeat Michael van Gerwen 7-3 and capture the 2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championship title at London’s Alexandra Palace on Friday 3-1-2025.

The teenage sensation fulfilled his darting destiny in a generational showdown, averaging 102 and hitting 56% of his doubles to etch his name into the history books.

Having been narrowly beaten by Luke Humphries in a record-breaking final exactly a year ago, Littler vowed to bounce back—and he delivered in style with a masterful display. 

The 17-year-old capitalized on early errors from Van Gerwen to race into a 4-0 lead. Despite a spirited comeback attempt by the Dutch superstar, he could not mount a serious challenge to Littler's dominance.

Littler now surpasses Van Gerwen as the youngest-ever World Darts Champion. Van Gerwen had previously set the record at 24 when he first claimed the Sid Waddell Trophy. 

“Since hitting the winning double, I still can’t believe it, ” said Littler, the 13th player to win the World Darts Championship. “I keep telling myself it’s real and that the trophy is mine, but it hasn’t sunk in yet.

“After the Ryan Meikle game, I felt at home on that stage. Tonight, I didn’t feel nervous at all—except for the last leg when my hands started shaking. I just told myself, ‘You’ve been steady all game, don’t start now!’”

Entering Friday’s final, Littler and Van Gerwen were evenly matched in their head-to-head record. After his breakthrough win, Littler paid tribute to his opponent. 

“Michael has done so much for this sport, ” Littler said. “He was hungry for his fourth World Championship, but to win my first and become the youngest champion ever is an incredible feeling. It’s been a long few weeks, and I can’t wait to go home, celebrate with my family, and sleep in my own bed!”

Van Gerwen, a three-time World Champion, was unable to reclaim the sport’s biggest prize, six years after his last triumph at Alexandra Palace. Despite falling short, he praised Littler for his exceptional achievement. 

“Every 17 years, a star is born, and Luke is one of them, ” Van Gerwen said graciously. “Of course, it hurts, but that’s how it should be. If it doesn’t hurt, you’re not a true sportsman. 

“I had a great tournament and enjoyed every moment. But at the start of the game, I let myself down too much. Against a player like Luke, that spells trouble. I’ll take this on the chin and move forward.”

Littler opened the match with a steady performance to take the first set before averaging 115 in the second to double his lead. Van Gerwen’s struggles on doubles persisted in the third set, allowing Littler to extend his advantage. A dominant fourth set put the teenager firmly in control.

Van Gerwen rallied in the fifth set with impressive finishes of 80 and 132 to narrow the gap, raising hopes of a comeback. However, Littler responded emphatically in the sixth set with three high-quality legs to restore his four-set lead. 

Despite Van Gerwen finding his rhythm to claim the seventh set, Littler surged ahead with a 112 average in the eighth, moving within one set of victory. Although Van Gerwen claimed set nine to delay the inevitable, the unflappable 17-year-old sealed the title with a clean sweep in the tenth set.

2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championship
Friday January 3 - Final
Luke Littler 7-3 Michael van Gerwen (3-1, 3-0, 3-1, 1-3, 3-2, 2-3, 3-0)

The darts world braces itself for another thrilling World Championship, starting on December 15th 2024

 Reigning champion Luke Humphries will defend his title, facing a tough challenge from the likes of Price, Van Gerwen, and Van Barneveld.

 Rising stars like Littler and Van Veen are poised to make their mark, while legends like Anderson and Van Barneveld aim for one last glory.

The tournament will pause for a festive break before returning on December 27th for the final stages.

• Opening Night: Humphries vs. Tricole/Comito
• Early Rounds: Price, Wade, Wright, Van Barneveld, Anderson
• Rising Stars: Littler, Van Veen

2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championship
Schedule of Play
Sunday December 15 (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Thibault Tricole v Joe Comito (R1)
Jermaine Wattimena v Stefan Bellmont (R1)
Kim Huybrechts v Keane Barry (R1)
Luke Humphries v Tricole/Comito (R2)

Monday December 16
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Wesley Plaisier v Ryusei Azemoto (R1)
Luke Woodhouse v Lourence Ilagan (R1)
Alan Soutar v Kai Gotthardt (R1)
James Wade v Wattimena/Bellmont (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Niels Zonneveld v Robert Owen (R1)
Connor Scutt v Ben Robb (R1)
Cameron Menzies v Leonard Gates (R1)
Gerwyn Price v Huybrechts/Barry (R2)

Tuesday December 17
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
James Hurrell v Jim Long (R1)
Kevin Doets v Noa-Lynn van Leuven (R1)
Ryan Joyce v Darius Labanauskas (R1)
Mike De Decker v Woodhouse/Ilagan (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Jeffrey de Graaf v Rashad Sweeting (R1)
Ricardo Pietreczko v Xiaochen Zong (R1)
Ryan Meikle v Fallon Sherrock (R1)
Peter Wright v Plaisier/Azemoto (R2)

Wednesday December 18 (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Jim Williams v Paolo Nebrida (R1)
Madars Razma v Christian Kist (R1)
Ricky Evans v Gordon Mathers (R1)
Nathan Aspinall v Menzies/Gates (R2)

Thursday December 19
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Chris Landman v Lok Yin Lee (R1)
Callan Rydz v Romeo Grbavac (R1)
Martin Lukeman v Nitin Kumar (R1)
Gabriel Clemens v Zonneveld/Owen (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Nick Kenny v Stowe Buntz (R1)
Mensur Suljovic v Matt Campbell (R1)
Scott Williams v Niko Springer (R1)
Michael Smith v Doets/Van Leuven (R2)

Friday December 20
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Stephen Burton v Alexander Merkx (R1)
Wessel Nijman v Cameron Carolissen (R1)
Ian White v Sandro Eric Sosing (R1)
Stephen Bunting v Soutar/Gotthardt (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Mickey Mansell v Tomoya Goto (R1)
Florian Hempel v Jeffrey De Zwaan (R1)
William O’Connor v Dylan Slevin (R1)
Michael van Gerwen v Hurrell/Long (R2)

Saturday December 21
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
2x First Round, 2x Second Round
Karel Sedlacek v Rhys Griffin (R1)
Richard Veenstra v Alexis Toylo (R1)
Brendan Dolan v Landman/Lee (R2)
Chris Dobey v Burton/Merkx (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Danny Noppert v Joyce/Labanauskas (R2)
Raymond van Barneveld v Kenny/Buntz (R2)
Luke Littler v Meikle/Sherrock (R2)
Damon Heta v Scutt/Robb (R2) 

Sunday December 22
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
4x Second Round
Ryan Searle v Suljovic/Campbell (R2)
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Razma/Kist (R2)
Joe Cullen v Nijman/Carolissen (R2)
Ritchie Edhouse v White/Sosing (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Martin Schindler v Rydz/Grbavac (R2)
Ross Smith v J Williams/Nebrida (R2)
Gary Anderson v De Graaf/Sweeting (R2)
Dimitri Van den Bergh v O’Connor/Slevin (R2)

Monday December 23
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
4x Second Round
Krzysztof Ratajski v Veenstra/Toylo (R2)
Andrew Gilding v Lukeman/Kumar (R2)
Josh Rock v Sedlacek/Griffin (R2)
Jonny Clayton v Mansell/Goto (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Gian van Veen v Pietreczko/Zong (R2)
Daryl Gurney v Hempel/De Zwaan (R2)
Dave Chisnall v Evans/Mathers (R2)
Rob Cross v S Williams/Springer (R2)

Friday December 27
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Third Round

Saturday December 28
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Third Round

Sunday December 29
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round

Monday December 30
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Fourth Round

Evening Session (1930 GMT)
3x Fourth Round

Wednesday January 1
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals

Thursday January 2 (1930 GMT)
Semi-Finals

Friday January 3 (2000 GMT)
Final

Source: PDC

In a thrilling match at Alexandra Palace, Luke Humphries defeated Luke Littler 7-4 to become the 2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Champion. Humphries was down 4-2 but made an incredible comeback, winning five consecutive sets to clinch the title. He averaged 103 and hit 23 maximums in the match, which was a classic. Littler, who is only 16 years old, had a fantastic tournament, defeating former World Champions Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross on his way to the final. Humphries victory is all the more remarkable given his struggles with anxiety in the past. He has now won four of the last five Premier televised events since October. Congratulations to Luke Humphries on his well-deserved victory!

2023 Friday December 15 (7pm)

Kevin Doets v Stowe Buntz (R1)
Cameron Menzies v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (R1)
Simon Whitlock v Paolo Nebrida (R1)
Michael Smith v Doets/Buntz (R2)

2023 Saturday December 16

Afternoon Session (12:30pm)

Lee Evans v Sandro Eric Sosing (R1)
Connor Scutt v Krzysztof Kciuk (R1)
Jules van Dongen v Darren Penhall (R1)
Dave Chisnall v Menzies/Rodriguez (R2)

Evening Session (7pm)

Jamie Hughes v David Cameron (R1)
Keane Barry v Reynaldo Rivera (R1)
Scott Williams v Haruki Muramatsu (R1)
Gary Anderson v Whitlock/Nebrida (R2)

2023 Sunday December 17

Afternoon Session (12:30pm)

Ricky Evans v Simon Adams (R1)
Jim Williams v Norman Madhoo (R1)
Matt Campbell v Lourence Ilagan (R1)
Joe Cullen v Van Dongen/Penhall (R2)

Evening Session (7pm)

Dylan Slevin v Florian Hempel (R1)
Niels Zonneveld v Darren Webster (R1)
Jermaine Wattimena v Fallon Sherrock (R1)
Luke Humphries v L Evans/Eric Sosing (R2)

2023 Monday December 18 (7pm)

Mario Vandenbogaerde v Thibault Tricole (R1)
Gian van Veen v Man Lok Leung (R1)
Martin Lukeman v Haupai Puha (R1)
Gerwyn Price v Scutt/Kciuk (R2)

2023 Tuesday December 19

Afternoon Session (12:30pm)

Ian White v Tomoya Goto (R1)
Ritchie Edhouse v Jeffrey de Graaf (R1)
Keegan Brown v Boris Krcmar (R1)
James Wade v Campbell/Ilagan (R2)

Evening Session (7pm)

Steve Beaton v Wessel Nijman (R1)
Mike De Decker v Dragutin Horvat (R1)
Ricardo Pietreczko v Mikuru Suzuki (R1)
Michael van Gerwen v Barry/Rivera (R2)

2023 Wednesday December 20

Afternoon Session (12:30pm)

Radek Szaganski v Marko Kantele (R1)
Steve Lennon v Owen Bates (R1)
William O’Connor v Bhav Patel (R1)
Ross Smith v Zonneveld/Webster (R2)

Evening Session (7pm)

Ryan Joyce v Alex Spellman (R1)
Richard Veenstra v Ben Robb (R1)
Christian Kist v Luke Littler (R1)
Peter Wright v J Williams/Madhoo (R2)

2023 Thursday December 21

Afternoon Session (12:30pm)

Mickey Mansell v Xiaochen Zong (R1)
Luke Woodhouse v Berry van Peer (R1)
Madars Razma v De Decker/Horvat (R2)
Rob Cross v Vandenbogaerde/Tricole (R2)

Evening Session (7pm)

Andrew Gilding v Kist/Littler (R2)
Danny Noppert v S Williams/Muramatsu (R2)
Gabriel Clemens v Van Veen/Leung (R2)
Damon Heta v Lukeman/Puha (R2)

2023 Friday December 22

Afternoon Session (12:30pm)

Brendan Dolan v Mansell/Zong (R2)
Jose de Sousa v Edhouse/De Graaf (R2)
Krzysztof Ratajski v Hughes/Cameron (R2)
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Brown/Krcmar (R2)

Evening Session (7pm)

Dimitri Van den Bergh v Slevin/Hempel (R2)
Martin Schindler v Wattimena/Sherrock (R2)
Raymond van Barneveld v Szaganski/Kantele (R2)
Chris Dobey v O’Connor/Patel (R2)

2023 Saturday December 23

Afternoon Session (12:30pm)

Kim Huybrechts v Veenstra/Robb (R2)
Callan Rydz v Pietreczko/Suzuki (R2)
Jonny Clayton v Lennon/Bates (R2)
Daryl Gurney v Beaton/Nijman (R2)

Evening Session (7pm)

Ryan Searle v White/Goto (R2)
Josh Rock v Woodhouse/Van Peer (R2)
Stephen Bunting v Joyce/Spellman (R2)
Nathan Aspinall v R Evans/Adams (R2)

2023 Wednesday December 27

Afternoon Session (12:30pm)

3x Third Round

Evening Session (7pm)

3x Third Round

2023 Thursday December 28

Afternoon Session (12:30pm)

3x Third Round

Evening Session (7pm)

3x Third Round

2023 Friday December 29

Afternoon Session (12:30pm)

3x Third Round

Evening Session (7pm)

1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round

2023 Saturday December 30

Afternoon Session (12:30pm)

3x Fourth Round

Evening Session (7:30pm)

3x Fourth Round

2024 Monday January 1

Afternoon Session (12:30pm)

2x Quarter-Finals

Evening Session (7pm)

2x Quarter-Finals

2024 Tuesday January 2 (7:30pm)

Semi-Finals

2024 Wednesday January 3 (8pm)

Final

Source: Paddypower

Michael Smith won the world title at the World Darts Championship on Tuesday 3-1-2023 evening and was therefore allowed to collect the corresponding check for £ 500,000.

As a result of the prize money won, Smith is the fifth player ever to win more than a million pounds playing in the World Darts Championship.

Earlier, Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright already earned more than a million from the prize money at the world championships alone.

For Smith, a dream came true. "It's great. This is what I've been working for all my career.

Smith also threw a nine-darter in the final, after Michael Van Gerwen had missed double twelve in the same leg to hit a nine-dart finish.

Runnerup Michael v Gerwen MVG