Hosts Germany will begin their bid for 2024 BetVictor World Cup of Darts glory against New Zealand on Thursday’s opening night in Frankfurt, as former champions Australia kick off their campaign against Japan.
The 2024 World Cup of Darts will be staged at Frankfurt’s Eissporthalle from June 27-30, as 40 teams compete for the coveted title and a share of the £450,000 prize fund.
The revamped format which was successfully introduced last year will return in 2024, with group and knockout stages featuring Doubles matches across four days of action.
The top four ranked nations – based on the lowest cumulative PDC Order of Merit ranking of the two competing players – are seeded and will enter at the second round stage.
Reigning champions Wales will begin their title defence in the last 16, alongside four-time champions England and Netherlands and two-time winners Scotland.
The remaining 36 nations have been split into 12 groups of three for the round-robin phase – including 12 seeded nations – from which each group winner will progress.
Martin Schindler and Gabriel Clemens will lead Germany’s title tilt on home soil, as they prepare to face 2019 quarter-finalists New Zealand and 2013 semi-finalists Finland in Group C.
Damon Heta and Simon Whitlock led Australia to World Cup victory in 2022, and they will renew their partnership in 2024 when they headline Group D alongside 2019 semi-finalists Japan and Hong Kong.
UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh and 2013 World Cup finalist Kim Huybrechts will return to represent fifth seeds Belgium, who have been pitted against Singapore and Philippines in Group A.
Josh Rock will make his World Cup of Darts debut alongside Brendan Dolan for sixth seeds Northern Ireland, who will play South Africa and Switzerland in Group B.
Former finalists Republic of Ireland face Lithuania and Chinese Taipei in Group E, while Rowby-John Rodriguez and Mensur Suljovic team up for 2021 runners-up Austria, who take on China and Guyana in Group F.
Krzysztof Ratajski and Radek Szaganski will fly the flag for Poland in Group G, with Norway and Hungary competing against them for a place in the knockout stages.
Czech Republic, Bahrain and Iceland make up Group H, while Croatia headline Group I alongside Malaysia and three-time quarter-finalists Canada – led by newly crowned North American Champion Matt Campbell.
Jacques Labre and Thibault Tricole guided France to the quarter-finals 12 months ago, and they will resume their partnership in Group J, which also contains Latvia and tournament ever-presents Denmark.
Sweden, Spain and Gibraltar will battle it out in Group K, as USA, Portugal and Italy complete the draw in Group L.
The losing nations from Thursday’s opening matches will play the third team from each group in Friday’s afternoon session, before the decisive group games are played on Friday evening.
Following the completion of the group stage, the draw for the last 16 will take place on Friday evening, as England, Wales, Netherlands and Scotland enter the fray in Saturday’s second round.
World Champion Luke Humphries will make his World Cup debut alongside Michael Smith for top seeds England, as Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton aim to lead defending champions Wales to a third triumph in the pairs event.
Michael van Gerwen will return to the World Cup fold to partner Danny Noppert for four-time winners Netherlands, while Peter Wright and Gary Anderson once again represent fourth seeds Scotland.
The top four seeded nations will be pre-allocated into the draw bracket in the last 16, with the 12 group winners to be drawn at random.
The second round will take place across two sessions on Saturday, followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final on a bumper Finals Day in Frankfurt on Sunday.
The BetVictor World Cup of Darts will be broadcast on Sky Sports for viewers in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC’s international broadcast partners, including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers.
2024 BetVictor World Cup of Darts
Eissporthalle, Frankfurt, Germany
(June 27-30 2024)
Seeded through to Second Round
(1) England
(2) Wales
(3) Netherlands
(4) Scotland
Group Stage Draw
Group A
(5) Belgium
Singapore
Philippines
Group B
(6) Northern Ireland
South Africa
Switzerland
Group C
(7) Germany
New Zealand
Finland
Group D
(8) Australia
Japan
Hong Kong
Group E
(9) Republic of Ireland
Lithuania
Chinese Taipei
Group F
(10) Austria
China
Guyana
Group G
(11) Poland
Norway
Hungary
Group H
(12) Czech Republic
Bahrain
Iceland
Group I
(13) Croatia
Malaysia
Canada
Group J
(14) France
Latvia
Denmark
Group K
(15) Sweden
Spain
Gibraltar
Group L
(16) USA
Portugal
Italy
Draw Bracket – Second Round onwards
(1) England v
v
(4) Scotland v
v
(2) Wales v
v
(3) Netherlands v
v
Session Schedule
Thursday June 27 (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Group Stage – First Matches x12
Team 1 v Team 2 from each group – match order TBC
Belgium v Singapore (A)
Northern Ireland v South Africa (B)
Germany v New Zealand (C)
Australia v Japan (D)
Republic of Ireland v Lithuania (E)
Austria v China (F)
Poland v Norway (G)
Czech Republic v Bahrain (H)
Croatia v Malaysia (I)
France v Latvia (J)
Sweden v Spain (K)
USA v Portugal (L)
Friday June 28
Afternoon Session (1200 local time, 1100 BST)
Group Stage – Second Matches x12
Loser First Match v Team 3
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Group Stage – Final Matches x12
Winner First Match v Team 3
Saturday June 29
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Second Round x4
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Second Round x4
Sunday June 30
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Semi-Finals
Final
Format
Group Stage – Best of seven legs
Second Round – Best of 15 legs
Quarter-Finals – Best of 15 legs
Semi-Finals – Best of 15 legs
Final – Best of 19 legs
All games will be played in a Doubles format.
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
