Good day and welcome to our live updates of this evening’s World Darts Championship Final at Alexandra Palace.
Luke Littler has entered the history books as only the fourth individual to reach three consecutive finals and is striving to secure back-to-back world titles at the young age of 18. Previously, Dennis Priestley, Phil Taylor, and Gary Anderson were the sole achievers of this milestone.
In the semi-final, ‘The Nuke’ triumphed over Ryan Searle with a score of 6-1, while Gian van Veen, making his debut in the World Championship Final and second major final, claimed victory against Gary Anderson in a thrilling 6-3 encounter.
The champion of tonight’s match will not only walk away with £1 million in prize money but also the prestigious Sid Waddell Trophy.
This evening’s showdown is reminiscent of the 2023 World Youth final, which Littler won 6-4. Despite his dominance, Van Veen has emerged victorious in three out of their five previous face-offs.
“Gian has been progressing through the ranks, approximately a year ahead of me on the tour,” Littler stated. “We’ve crossed paths on the Development Tour and Pro Tour several times. I secured a win over him in Minehead for my first PDC World Youth title. Gian is currently playing with exceptional freedom being in the top four and the Premier League, so he has nothing to lose.”
The victor will walk away with an astonishing £1 million in prize money tonight, but what about the runner-up?
Both of these exceptional young darts players have reached the final stage, with Luke Littler, the world number one, having been defeated by Gian van Veen on three occasions prior to tonight’s showdown.
The 23-year-old Dutch talent is ranked tenth globally and has the opportunity to climb up the rankings with a win tonight.
Here’s a preview of how the two contenders stack up ahead of the final showdown tonight.
The clash between Gian van Veen and Luke Littler is highly anticipated after Van Veen emerged victorious in three out of their five encounters in 2025. The question remains, who will emerge triumphant tonight?
Luke Littler is eyeing his second World Championship title this evening, while Gian van Veen is eager to secure his inaugural win.
The action kicks off around 8:15 pm and will be live on Sky Sports Main Event and NOW. Alternatively, you can stay tuned with us for the latest updates throughout the evening.
Greetings and welcome to our live blog leading up to tonight’s significant event!
Luke Littler will face Gian van Veen in a bid to defend his World Darts Championship title.
The showdown commences at 8:15 pm, with the champion walking away with £1 million in prize money and the revered Sid Waddell Trophy.