The Darts World Cup is the pinnacle of the sport every year, and fans around the world are excited to see the world’s best players clash on the legendary Alexandra Palace stage. Darts World Cup 2026 will be no exception, promising plenty of excitement, unexpected twists and spectacular matches. Below we’ve gathered all the essential information – from the schedule and the action, to the prize money, the final and TV coverage.

Every year, the darts world championships are a prestigious event that showcases the biggest stars in the sport and new talent. The 2026 World Darts Championship promises to be particularly exciting, with an increasingly even field and a high standard of matches between big returnees and up-and-coming youngsters. London’s Alexandra Palace – or as fans call it, the Ally Pally – will once again be the centre of the world’s darts fans.

In the summary below, we provide details of the darts world championship 2026 schedule, the event, the final and the TV coverage.

Darts World Championship 2026 schedule – Full programme

The 2026 Darts World Championship schedule will change this year, with 96 players competing in the tournament for the first time. The 2026 PDC Darts World Championship will start on 11 December 2025, with the final on 3 January 2026.

Start date

• Starting date: 11 December 2026.
• Final: 3 January 2027.

Schedule of the rounds

• First and second rounds: first 10-12 days of competition
• Third and fourth rounds (eighth and quarter-finals): between Christmas and New Year
• Semi-finals: 2 January.
• Darts World Championship Final 2026: 3 January

The detailed daily schedule – afternoon and evening sessions, pairings, playing times – can be found on the official PDC website.

2026 PDC Darts World Championship – How will the tournament take place?

Darts World Cup 2026 will be a departure from the tried and tested model of recent years, as the organisers have increased the number of players. The 2026 tournament will see a record 128 darts players take to the stage at the Ally Pally, and a new feature compared to previous years is that the 32 seeded players will be drawn in the first round.

Number of players participating

• 128 players in the main draw
• The 32 seeded players will join the action in the first round
• The remaining places will be filled by winners of qualifying tournaments, regional champions and Pro Tour players

Featured players

According to the tournament rules, the field will be 32 seeded players, which means that the first two rounds will not be seeded against each other. The rankings are based on the PDC Order of Merit.

The first seed in the tournament will be defending world champion and world number one Luke Littlerof Great Britain, who is the odds-on favourite to win the World Championship.

2026 PDC Darts World Championship draw

From the 128 participants, 64 pairs of matches were drawn by lot. The only restriction was that no seeded player could be paired with a seeded player. You can view the full list of matches for the 2026 World Darts Championship on results.com or the PDC website!

The match format at the darts world championship

The tournament will be played on a set number system throughout – this is what makes the World Championship truly classic.

• Early rounds: shorter, 3-4 sets won format
• From quarter-finals: 5 sets to go format
• Semi-final: 6 sets to be won format
• Final: 7 sets won format

Why is the PDC Darts World Championship so special?

• More than 3 weeks of continuous play
• Up to 5-7 matches a day
• Festive atmosphere and iconic supporters’ camp
• The most watched darts event in the world

PDC World Darts Championship – Where to watch? List of International Broadcasters

• United Kingdom – Sky Sports
• Ireland – Sky Sports
• Germany – DAZN, SPORT1
• Austria – DAZN
• Switzerland – DAZN
• Netherlands – Viaplay
• Belgium – VTM
• France – DAZN
• Italy – DAZN
• Spain – DAZN
• Portugal – DAZN
• Poland – Viaplay
• Czech Republic – Nova Sport
• Slovakia – Nova Sport
• Hungary – Sport TV
• Romania – Prima Sport
• Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland) – Viaplay
• Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) – Viaplay
• USA – DAZN
• Canada – DAZN
• Mexico – DAZN
• Brazil – DAZN
• Argentina – DAZN
• Australia – Fox Sports
• New Zealand – Sky Sport NZ
• Japan – DAZN
• South Korea – DAZN
• India – DAZN (regional availability varies)
• South Africa – SuperSport
• Nigeria – SuperSport
• Turkey – S Sport
• United Arab Emirates – beIN Sports
• Saudi Arabia – beIN Sports
• Qatar – beIN Sports
• Egypt – beIN Sports

Expected mediation opportunities

• Sky Sports, ESPN, Sport TV, PDC.tv
• Subscription online stream from the official PDC website
• Live streams from bookmakers

Darts World Championship Final 2026 – What to expect at the biggest tournament in the sport?

The darts World Cup final 2026 will certainly attract a lot of attention. Fans are rightly expecting a fierce match, as the field has become much stronger and more evenly matched in recent years. The big question this year will be whether we see a title defence after 2016.

Then, Scotland’s Gary Anderson was able to defend his world title in the Ally Pally, a feat previously achieved only by Adrian Lewis (2011, 2012) and Phil Taylor. Luke Littler stood out from the field last year to claim his first ever world title in virtually no time at all, and the bookies and pundits are predicting that he will be the winner again this year.

Who are the favourites for the final?

• Former world champions like Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Gary Anderson, Luke Humphries
• The up-and-coming youngsters who are increasingly making the finals of major tournaments: Josh Rock, Wessel Nijman, Gian van Veen, Danny Noppert, Chris Dobey
• The surprise players from the Pro Tour who make the headlines every year

Why is the atmosphere of the final so special?

• Thousands of fans in the Ally Pally stands
• Classical music, iconic walk-on parades
• High quality play, often with near-record averages
• The fight for the sport’s most important trophy

When will the 2026 Darts World Championship final take place?

The 2026 PDC Darts World Championship Final 2026. on 3 January The final will go down to seven sets.

Darts World Championship 2026 prize money

This year’s World Darts Championships will be a curiosity not only because of the number of entrants, but also because of the historic prize money that will be awarded.

The field will be increased to 128 and the total prize pool for the World Championship will rise to £5 million, while the winner’s prize money will increase from £500 ,000 to £1 million – the first time the tournament prize money has changed since 2019. The champion will also take home the Sid Waddell Trophy, named after the legendary darts commentator who died in 2012.

How much does the 9 darter pay at the darts world championship?

As last year, Paddy Power, the tournament’s title sponsor, has pledged to donate £60,000 for every nine-pointer completed – split equally between the player, a randomly selected supporter and Prostate Cancer UK.

Darts World Championship 2026 overall prize money
Winner	£1,000,000
Finalist	£400,000
Semi final	£200,000
Quarter-final	£100,000
Round 4	£60,000
Round 3	£35,000
Round 2	£25,000
Round 1	£15,000
9 dart leg	£60,000

PDC Darts World Championship 2026 tickets

Tickets for the 2026 World Cup are no longer officially on sale, as every year tickets are sold out in a matter of minutes. A ‘waiting list’ on the official PDC website is now open for registrations, and cancelled tickets will be drawn by lot among those on the list.

You can still buy tickets for the darts world cup through unofficial sellers, but you should expect tickets on the black market to go for a very high price.

Sponsor of the 2026 darts world championship

Paddy Power is the main sponsor of the PDC World Darts Championship since 2024. Paddy Power is the third gambling company in the history of the PDC World Championships to become the main sponsor of the tournament, with Ladbrokes and William Hill having previously sponsored the darts World Championship for 11 and 8 years respectively.

Former winners at the PDC Darts World Darts Championships

Since the inception of the PDC in 1994, the Ally Pally audience has seen countless great champions. The record holder and absolute champion is of course Phil Taylor, who has won the PDC World Championship 14 times, reached the final 19 times and qualified for the World Championship 25 times in a row.

Taylor is followed by Dutchman Micheal van Gerwen with 3 world titles, then Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, John Part and Adrien Lewis, who all have 2-2 world titles in the PDC World Championship.

14× world champion

• Phil Taylor – 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013

3× world champion

• Michael van Gerwen – 2014, 2017, 2019

2× world champions

• Gary Anderson – 2015, 2016
• Adrian Lewis – 2011, 2012
• Peter Wright – 2020, 2022
• John Part – 2003, 2008

1× world champions

• Dennis Priestley – 1994
• Raymond van Barneveld – 2007
• Rob Cross – 2018
• Gerwyn Price – 2021
• Michael Smith – 2023
• Luke Humphries – 2024

Best averages at the PDC Darts World Championship history

Average	Player	Year / Round / Result
114.05	Michael van Gerwen	2017, semi-final, win 6-2 vs Raymond van Barneveld
111.21	Phil Taylor	2002, 2. round vs Shayne Burgess
110.94	Phil Taylor	2009, final, win 7-1 vs Raymond van Barneveld
109.34	Raymond van Barneveld	2017, semi-final, defeat 2-6 vs Michael van Gerwen
109.23	Michael van Gerwen	2016, 2. round vs Darren Webster
109.00	Phil Taylor	2007, 2. Round vs Mick McGowan
108.98	Michael van Gerwen	2021, 2. Round vs Ryan Murray
108.80	Phil Taylor	2009, quarter final vs Co Stompé
108.65	Michael van Gerwen	2018, 2. Round vs James Wilson
108.39	Gary Anderson	2011, 3. Round vs Andy Smith

PDC Darts World Championship records

• Most titles: 14, Phil Taylor. Taylor’s two BDO titles brought his total to 16, a record for both organisations.
• Most finals: 19, Phil Taylor, 1994-2007, 2009-2010, 2013, 2015 and 2018.
• Most match wins: 110, Phil Taylor, 1994-2018 Taylor lost only 11 matches in the tournament and reached every final from 1994 to 2007 before being beaten in the quarter-finals by Wayne Mardle in 2008.
• Longest unbeaten streak: 44 games, Phil Taylor, 1995-2003, between losses in the 1994 and 2003 finals.
• Most 180s in a tournament (total): 914, in 2024.
• Most 180s in one tournament (individual): 83, Michael Smith (2022)
• Most 180s in a match: 24, Peter Wright (2022 semi-final) and Michael Smith (2022 final)
• Most 180s in a match (both players): 42, Gary Anderson (22) and Michael van Gerwen (20) (2017 final)
• Longest 100+ average streak: 19 matches, Michael van Gerwen, 2016-2019
• Highest average in a set: 140.91, Luke Littler, round 2 of the 2025 tournament.
• Most appearances: 25, Phil Taylor.
• Youngest player: Mitchell Clegg, 16 years and 37 days in 2007. Clegg qualified at the age of 15. He was younger than Michael van Gerwen, who broke the record for the youngest player at the BDO World Championship a few weeks later.
• Youngest finalist: Luke Littler, 16 years and 347 days in the 2024 final. Littler was 4 years and 106 days younger than Kirk Shepherd, who reached the final in 2008.
• Youngest world champion: Luke Littler was 17 years, 11 months and 13 days old when he won his first world title in 2025.
• The oldest world champion: Phil Taylor was 52 years and 5 months old when he won his last world title in 2013.

9 darters at the PDC Darts World Championship history

So far in the history of the PDC World Championships, the audience has seen a total of 16 perfect legs, or 9 arrow legs. The record holder is the Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld, who managed a 9-arrow leg at the Ally Pally in 2009 and 2010.

Sportbetting on the PDC Darts World Championship 2026!

Of course, the betting agencies are also gearing up for the 2026 PDC World Darts Championships, which means they have extra offers for players looking for fun. In addition to the usual betting market, special markets will be opened up for bettors during the World Cup that are not normally available during the year.

What can you bet on in darts?

• Winner of the match
• Match result
• Number of sets/legs below/above
• Total number of 180s (individual and match total)
• Who throws more 180s
• Betting on handicap
• Highest exit score
• Biggest bust – who throws it between the two players
• Number of Bulls outs (individual and total match)
• 100+ quits (individual and match total)
• There will be a 170 exit at the match
• There will be 9 arrow legs in the match
• Outright bets – how far a player gets in the tournament, elimination date
• Number of legs below/above

Sports betting bonus for the 2026 Darts World Championship

It’s worth keeping an eye on what the bookmakers have to offer, as most of them are running exciting promotions for the darts World Cup. Free bets, increased odds or even free betting opportunities!

It’s important that if you want to bet on the darts world cup, you look for a bookmaker with a wide range of bets. Nobody wants to miss out on a good bet because they can’t make it!

Our choice this year is BetLabel this year ! As well as reading very good reviews, we have personally found it to be a really high quality provider! BetLabel offers all their new players a welcome bonus of on their first deposit, but we can also request a free bet on the darts world cup option of up to EUR 30 !

Betlabel registration procedure

Registration is quick and easy. Just enter a few basic details (name, email, password) and you’re ready to go. You may be asked to provide proof of identity and address for authentication – it’s best to upload this at the start, so it’s quicker to pay later.

Then all you have to do is choose the payment method that suits you, make your first deposit and you’re ready to play!

• Go to BetLabel and click on the register button
• Choose one of the welcome bonuses
• Enter your email address and a password
• Fill in the registration form
• Click on the Create account button

• Once you have gone through the above steps, Betlabel will send a confirmation link to the email address you provided when you registered. Here, all you have to do is click on the “Confirm Account” button.
• If you are happy with this, go to the top right corner of my account> and go to the deposit link. Choose the payment method that suits you and deposit as much as you can afford.
• After you make your deposit, BetLabel will credit your account with the bonus you have specified.
• Go to the Sports tab, search for Darts and the PDC 2026 World Championship, choose from the matches and try your luck!

What is BetLabel? BetLabel is a relatively new but reliable and easy to use betting site, available in many languages. It offers a wide and exciting range of sports betting and a varied, player-friendly bonus system. Live streams can be accessed by clicking on the selected event in the ‘LIVE’ betting menu. New sign-ups will also receive a 100% welcome bonus, with the bonus amount up to EUR 150 depending on the amount of the deposit .

PDC Darts World Championship 2026 – who are the biggest favourites?

The unanimous opinion of the bookmakers and experts is that Luke Littler is the biggest favourite for the 2026 World Cup. The young Englishman’s title challenge is still being paid out at odds of 2.00, which is unprecedented in the history of PDC World Championships.

Luke Littler’s biggest challenger could be second seed Luke Humphries, who beat Littler in the World Championship final in 2024.

Although there are some former world champions in the field who are still in good form, the bookmakers see the chances of Gerwyn Price, Gary Anderson and Micheal van Gerwen as very slim.

Instead, they see potential in the young players, with Josh Rock and Gian van Veen among the favourites for the World Cup.

The biggest favourites for the 2026 darts world cup according to bookmakers

• Luke [email protected]
• Luke [email protected]
• Josh [email protected]
• Gian van [email protected]
• Gerwyn [email protected]
• Micheal van [email protected]
• Stephen [email protected]
• Gary [email protected]

Frequently asked questions about PDC Darts World Championship 2026

When does the Darts World Championship 2026 start?

The 2026 PDC Darts World Championship will take place between 11 December 2025 and 3 January 2026.

Where will the 2026 World Darts Championship be held?

The venue is still London, Alexandra Palace (Ally Pally).

How many players will take part in the darts World championship?

For the first time in the history of the PDC World Championships, 128 players will be on the board this year. An innovation compared to previous years is that this year’s championship will also include the top seeds in the first round.

Where to watch the darts world championship 2026?

In each country, separate TV companies hold the broadcasting rights. In addition, online streaming platforms will also broadcast the event, but the matches will also be available for viewing at bookmakers.

What is the format of the darts World Championship matches?

Matches will be played in sets, with a set lasting up to three winning legs. The game is 501 double-queen.

Summary

Darts World Cup 2026 promises to be an exciting, spectacular and unpredictable tournament. The timetable, delivery system and TV coverage will be well documented and more details will emerge as the event approaches. What is certain is that the World Championship will once again be the biggest celebration for darts fans.