Luke Littler Thrashes Gian van Veen to Retain PDC World Darts Championship
On 3 January 2026 at Alexandra Palace in London, Luke Littler retained his PDC World Darts Championship title by defeating Gian van Veen 7-1 in the final. Littler, aged 18, won his second PDC world championship in a dominant performance after van Veen took the opening set. Littler then secured seven of the remaining eight sets, finishing the match in just over 40 minutes.
Littler's tournament performance was marked by impressive statistics, including overall averages of 102, 97, 107, 107, 100, 105, and 106, hitting 16 maximum 180s with a high checkout of 147 but no nine-darter. Van Veen maintained a strong average of 100.0 but struggled with 38% accuracy on doubles and endured a thumb cut that bled onto the 5-segment, necessitating a replacement dartboard.
The victory, presented by Sir Chris Hoy, is notable for being linked to the first ever £1 million prize in darts, largely credited to Littler's significant impact on the sport. His emergence has been described as a social-media phenomenon with widespread audience appeal, contributing to increased interest in darts globally.
An emotional moment followed the victory, as Littler collapsed at the drinks table and cried before posing with the trophy.
