The question on everyone’s lips: Will any darts player challenge Luke Littler over the next 10-15 years? In fact, we may not have even heard of them yet.
Littler beat Jan van Veen 7-1 at Alexandra Palace in Saturday’s final, checking out with 147 points to seal a monumental victory and become world champion for the second consecutive year.
This made him only the fourth player in history to retain the title with Palace, joining an illustrious and very short list after Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Michael van Gerwen.
Littler is simply in a league of his own these days, currently holding the World Championship, British Open, World Match Play, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Players Championship titles, being world No. 1 and the first recipient of the £1 million winner’s prize at Alexandra Palace.
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Luke Littler wins 2026 World Darts Championship with stunning checkout
New Dutch No1 Van Veen, Luke Humphries and Van Gerwen make up the top four on the PDC Order of Merit and are Littler’s closest challengers, but when he is at his best he often feels unstoppable.
The Luke Littler effect has been in full effect in recent years, after the then-16-year-old had a magical run to the 2024 world finals, before losing to Humphries – his only loss in 20 world championships.
With his rise, the popularity of darts reached a new stratosphere. And now Littler must ponder whether he inspired the man who will one day knock him off his perch.
“There are a lot of opportunities for players to get on tour right now. Our players are only going to get better. We’re fighting for extra money in every major this year, and that’s obviously going to motivate our players,” Littler said.
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Ally Parry Wasp appeared in the World Championship final between Luke Littler and Jan Van Veen
“The Premier League is one of the biggest leagues and you play the best teams week in and week out. You don’t know what’s going to happen in 2026 and we all know it’s darts and you don’t know what’s going to happen on that day.
“As Michael van Gerwen said, every 17 years a star is born. Maybe some stars were born last year, I don’t know, but we’ll have to see.
“There are a lot of young players who will rise through the ranks.”
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Luke Littler wins the third set of the World Championship final with this 170 finish
Don’t write it down.
Many players at the top of the sport still have a strong belief that they can defeat “The Nuke.”
Van Veen said after losing in the final that he knew he had the game to beat Littler when it mattered. Humphries has been there and done it. Many in the sport still believe MVG can return to his best form.
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Jan van Veen had a great finish in the second set of the World Championship final, but ultimately lost the set to Luke Littler.
“People will say me and Gian, me and Luke. Michael is back to his best. That’s Michael van Gerwen,” Littler said.
“When (MVG) won the World Championship in 2017, his tournament average was 110. Night one, Premier League, me and Gian, it’s going to be a good match.”
“The Premier League is going to be special. Everyone wants me to win. Even after the final against Luke Humphries, I still have that goal on my back and it won’t stop.”
Will Van Veen reach new heights in the Premier League?
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Jan van Veen explained why he had to change the board during the World Championship final
One thing that will help Van Veen, who is a finalist at the World Darts Championship, is that he is an automatic qualifier for this year’s Premier League and will spend 16 weeks competing against seven other top players in the sport.
Littler believes joining the Premier League in 2024 has helped build his game, and believes it will be the same for the Dutchman.
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Jan van Veen had a great finish in the second set of the World Championship final, but ultimately lost the set to Luke Littler.
“It’s definitely going to help him play week in and week out. It’s his first year playing against the best players in the world, but obviously Gian is one of the best players in the world. We’re all going to mix it up,” said the two-year world champion.
“It’s going to be interesting to see who plays in that Premier League. It will definitely help Gian and he’ll get a taste of the Premier League and the European games and the Pro Tour games. So we’ll see how Gian copes.”
“You’re going to be world champion.”
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Wayne Mardle reflects on Luke Littler’s World Darts Championship title streak: “You never know when it’s going to end, that’s why it’s special.”
With so much attention, so much fame and so much responsibility on his shoulders, you could be forgiven for being in awe of Littler over the past few years.
However, he knows how to differentiate between dart life and family life.
“There’s so much going on. With social media these days, you can’t miss anything. There’s always something about yourself there,” Littler added.
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Luke Littler reacts to winning his second World Darts Championship and says he aims to break Phil Taylor’s record for holding the number one spot.
“When I go home, it’s me at home. I’m just an 18-year-old kid. And when it comes to darts and travel, I get into competitive mode and want to win.”
“I used to play in pubs when I was a kid and all the old guys were saying, ‘You’re going to be world champion, this and that’. I never expected it to turn out like this,” he said.
“Support from my family, friends and sponsors. They all helped me get here and I played well and did my job.”
What’s next after darts?
Littler, Humphries, Van Gerwen and Van Veen will be automatically qualified for the 2026 Premier League season, with the names of the remaining four set to be announced on Monday afternoon.
The announcement will be broadcast live on Sky Sports News at 3.30pm, with the eight-a-side competition format remaining unchanged this season. The opening game will take place in Newcastle on February 5th and will be broadcast live weekly on Sky Sports. Stream darts and other top sports now.
