World Darts Championship 2026: Luke Littler beats Gian van Veen in final to retain title at Alexandra Palace | Darts News
Luke Littler successfully defended his world darts champion title by beating Gian van Veen 7-1 in the final at Alexandra Palace.
Littler becomes only the fourth consecutive champion alongside Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson. It is also the first since “The Flying Scotsman” achieved the feat in 2016.
That means the 18-year-old Englishman has only lost one match on the Ally Pally stage: the 2024 final against Luke Humphries in his first year.
Littler’s levels in the final were nothing short of sensational with an average of 106.02, 16,180, 19,140, a 46 percent success rate in doubles, seven sets on the spin and a checkout of 147 to seal the victory encapsulating the talent that he is.
The tears that fell as this moment was realized showed exactly what it meant for Littler to achieve what he had dreamed of for 12 months.
His appearance in the final also made him the fourth player to reach three consecutive world finals alongside Dennis Priestley, Taylor and Anderson.
The records also continue to pile up as he joins Taylor, John Part, Lewis, Anderson, Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright in winning the biggest prize in all of darts on more than one occasion.
Littler winning the Sid Waddell Trophy twice in just three attempts extends his advantage as world number 1 and is the latest symbol of his revolutionary impact on the sport.
He is also the first winner of the £1 million prize awarded to the winner.
Before the 2026 edition, the last 7-1 final was 17 years ago, in 2009, when Taylor beat Raymond van Barneveld.
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