Luke Littler is the sensation at the 2024 Darts World Cup. The 16-year-old is reaching for the title in the final. There has long been talk about what could happen next for the shooting star after the tournament.
Luke Littler is in the final in his first World Cup participation. Luke Humphries, the new number one in the darts world rankings, is waiting here. Nevertheless, “The Nuke” doesn’t enter the race as a blatant outsider, as the 16-year-old impresses with a tournament average of around 103 points per shot.
Littler has already made his way into the top 32 thanks to his sensational run in the Ally Pally. In the event of a World Cup triumph, the Englishman would immediately be number nine in the Order of Merit.
Darts: Luke Littler beckons place in the Premier League
There is already a heated debate within the darts scene about whether Littler should be given a place in the Premier League. The first four players in the world rankings are automatically qualified for the elite league. The remaining four starting places are awarded via wild card.
Darts expert Paul Nicholson believes Littler should be called up for the Premier League if he wins the World Cup. The tournament will be played in league mode over 16 game days plus playoffs. In 2023, a total of one million pounds (approx. 1.15 million euros) in prize money was distributed. This makes the Premier League the second highest-paying event in the darts calendar after the World Cup.
Darts: Luke Littler the next Phil Taylor?
By the way, Nicholson doesn’t believe that Littler will be the next Phil Taylor – for one simple reason.
“We will never have another Phil Taylor. Let’s just make peace with it. Nobody will win 16 world championship titles – not even Littler, because there is just too much competition,” the 44-year-old made clear in his column for “sportinglife”.