Luke Humphries described Luke Littler as “the best darts player of all time” after losing to the 19-year-old in the final of the Winmaw World Masters.
Littler’s 6-5 victory in the epic final at Milton Keynes gave him one of the two televised major titles that had eluded him in an otherwise impressive career.
In just over two years on the PDC Tour, he has risen to No. 1 in the world, winning the World Championship twice, the World Match Play, Premier League, British Open, World Grand Prix, Players Championship Final, World Series Final and Grand Slam of Darts twice.
He only needs to qualify for the European Championships to complete this set, and Humphries believes his achievement will be greater than that of Phil Taylor, who won 16 world titles between 1990 and 2013.
“He showed real class,” Mr Humphries told ITV.
“Finally I told him, I don’t think he has a heart. He never gives in to pressure. You try so hard to put him under pressure, but he never gives in.
“It may be too early, but I think he’s the best darts player of all time.”
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It could have been so different! Gerwyn Price missed out on the top spot, defeating Littler in the semi-finals
Humphries, who was defending his Winmaw World Masters title, pushed his opponent to the brink Sunday night and took a 5-4 lead, but missed a crucial double late on and Littler turned the game around.
The former world champion, who lost his top spot in the world rankings to Littler at the end of last year, subsequently warned that his rival will have to “watch” for the remainder of 2026.
“I’m really excited to be on the road this weekend because I think my game is in good shape again,” he added.
“Adding even just one percent to what I’ve already done this week could be even more detrimental to Luke.
“He has to watch his back. He feels very good about his game.
“Obviously I’m disappointed that I didn’t win, but try to stay positive. It was a great tournament for me.”
“I proved once again why I’m the second best player in the world. I know it’s no mean feat, but I proved it today and this week.”
“I’m going to try to be the best, but trust me, it’s going to be difficult.”
Littler: “Taylor is still the best with all his trophies”
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Wayne Mardle provided another angle on Humphries’ nine-darter at the World Masters, which he watched with Littler.
Reacting to Humphries’ comments in the post-game press conference, Littler disagreed with his assessment and argued that he needed to match Taylor’s trophy wins to be considered the greatest of all time.
In addition to his 16 world titles, The Power also won multiple majors, including 16 World Matchplay wins and 11 World Grand Prix wins, although his opponents were arguably of a lower level than Littler.
But Littler insists the number of trophies is important.
“I didn’t hear him (Humphries) say that,” Littler said. “I could hear the crowd cheering a few times while he was talking, but I couldn’t hear it.”
“No, no one is better than Taylor. I won’t be the best unless I win more than Phil has won.”
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Humphries hits a sensational nine darter at the Winmau World Masters on Saturday night.
Humphries and Littler are set to resume their rivalry later this week when Premier League Darts 2026 kicks off in Newcastle, but Littler agrees the world number two will be dangerous in that tournament.
“Luke should leave the stage there satisfied with his performance,” he added.
“I just beat him in the last set and I’m sure Luke will bounce back.
“The Premier League is coming up and we’re all going to see how we all perform week in and week out.”
What’s next?
Premier League Darts will resume for the new season on Thursday, with Newcastle hosting the opening game of the 17-week schedule at venues across the UK, Ireland and Europe, with live coverage on Sky Sports.
Littler will face Van Veen on opening night. In a reenactment of the World Darts Championship final, either Johnny Clayton or Lock awaits the winner, while Humphries will face fellow former world champion Price and Michael van Gerwen will take on Stephen Bunting.
Sky Sports will continue to be the home of the Premier League in 2026, with exclusive live coverage of the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and more every night. Stream darts and other top sports without a contract.
