“The Giant” has no chance
Furious finale: Littler is darts world champion again
Updated on January 3, 2026 – 11:05 p.mReading time: 10 minutes
In the final of the Darts World Cup, world champion Luke Littler faced Gian van Veen. With a furious performance, “The Nuke” secured the title again.
The 2026 Darts World Cup ended with one last big highlight: On Saturday evening, last year’s winner Luke Littler dismantled his opponent Gian van Veen 7-1 in the final and was thus able to defend his world title. As in the semifinals against Ryan Searle (6:1), “The Nuke” only lost the first set. After that, the 18-year-old really turned up the heat and won 21 of the following 26 legs – seven sets in a row.
For van Veen, the dream of winning his first World Cup title has once again shattered. The Dutchman, now number three in the world rankings, showed unusual weaknesses on the double fields in the final. That was “The Giant’s” undoing. Littler consistently punished his opponent’s negligence.
For his victory, Littler was presented with the Sid Waddell Trophy, which weighs over 20 kilograms. In addition, the old and new world champion can look forward to record prize money of one million pounds (around 1.15 million euros).
Littler 7:1 van Veen (2:3, 3:2, 3:1, 3:0, 3:1, 3:0, 3:0, 3:1)
8th set, 4th leg – This darts final ends with a big bang. Because Luke Littler only scores 40 points with his first three arrows, but then adds 134 and 180. 147 remain to get the break and snatch the title. And Littler actually plays that high finish, firing the darts into triple 20, triple 19 and the last, his first match dart, into double 15. The decision. Littler is world champion again.
8th set, 3rd leg – Littler misses the next high finish. He wants to check 150 points via the double triple 20 and the double 15. That doesn’t quite work because he only hits 15. However, Van Veen no longer comes close and Littler checks the 3 and the double 6. Now he’s just one leg away from the title.
8th set, 2nd leg – Now van Veen can finally win another leg because Littler is putting the brakes on a bit this time and isn’t scoring quite as well. Van Veen checks 56 points over the 16 and tops.
8th set, 1st leg – Does Littler close the bag in this set? It certainly looks like it. It’s 180 points to start with again for “The Nuke”, who now has an average of 110 points. He takes the leg again and checks 72 points via the triple 20, the 6 and the double 3.
7th set, 3rd leg – Now Littler is very, very close to defending his title. Van Veen starts the leg with a double 180, but again the 23-year-old reveals weaknesses in the double fields. He hits neither double 18 nor double 9 to take the leg. Littler does it better. He manages his checkout of 54 points with an arrow into 14 and another into double 20.