The eyes of the darting world – and well beyond it – are locked on Alexandra Palace, breath held, pulses racing, as the climax of the 2026 Paddy Power World Championship creeps ever closer.
Anticipation saturates the North London air. Weeks of drama, shock and spectacle have led to this single moment, poised to erupt beneath the chandeliers where destiny will be settled and history etched in tungsten and nerve.
Destiny tightens its grip. History sharpens its quill.
Two young, ferociously gifted tungsten gladiators stand on the brink, ready to enter the arena with immortality on the line. This is not merely a final. It is a collision of futures. A duel between past and present World Youth Champions, each staring down a colossal seven-figure prize and a permanent seat in darting folklore.
For Luke Littler, this is familiar air. He has already scaled the mountain and still surveys the sport from its summit. Standing between him and back-to-back Ally Pally coronations is Gian van Veen – one of the very few men on the planet with the scoring velocity, steel-spined resilience and unblinking nerve to go stride for stride with the world number one.
At a combined age of just 41, this is the youngest PDC World Championship final the sport has ever staged. For Littler, it marks a scarcely believable third consecutive appearance in the showpiece. To date, only Luke Humphries has tasted victory over the Warrington phenomenon on this stage, doing so in that unforgettable debut run to the 2024 final.
Van Veen’s path is even more cinematic. Prior to this campaign, he hadn’t won a single World Championship match, exiting at the first hurdle on his previous two visits up Muswell Hill. But this is a different Dutchman – hardened, honed, and fully deserving of his place under the brightest lights.
Luke Littler (ENG)
Age: 18
Tournament Average: 102.96
180s: 57
Sets Dropped: 3
Paddy Power Odds: 2/5
Gian van Veen (NED)
Age: 23Tournament Average: 102.00
180s: 48
Sets Dropped: 8
Paddy Power Odds: 15/8
The bookmakers plant their flag firmly in Littler’s camp. Slightly higher average. More maximums. Fewer sets conceded.
On paper, the logic holds. And yet, Van Veen carries a stat that glows ominously – the biggest match average of the tournament, a majestic 108.28 when seeing off Alan Soutar in round two.
Their routes here could scarcely be more contrasting. Littler has faced just two seeds – Rob Cross and Ryan Searle – surrendering only three sets, all against fellow Englishmen. Van Veen, by contrast, ran headlong into the giants. Luke Humphries in the quarter-finals. Gary Anderson in a semi-final of seismic proportions. He dropped sets, yes – but he survived the storm.
But here’s the truth that obliterates statistics. When the lights dim, the music hits, and both men step onto that stage, every number evaporates. This will not be decided by averages compiled days earlier. It will be settled in the moment. Arrow by arrow. Breath by breath.
Each man knows exactly what the other is capable of. Each understands that to walk out clutching the Sid Waddell Trophy, they must summon something close to perfection.
No prediction this time. Some moments demand reverence, not forecasts.
This could be one of – if not the – greatest final the PDC World Championship has ever produced. A bold claim? Perhaps. But look at who is standing on that stage. It doesn’t feel like hype. It feels like a spoiler.
So sit back. Strap in. And savour it. This one has classic written all over it.
—–Ends—–
Images: PDC
