Michael van Gerwen still has to wait for his fourth world championship title. The Dutchman clearly lost the final of the 2025 Darts World Cup on Friday evening with 3:7 in sets against high-flyer Luke Littler. “Mighty Mike” then showed himself to be a fair sportsman and ennobled his opponent.
“I’m looking back on a memorable World Cup,” Michael van Gerwen said on Instagram the day after the final of the 2025 Darts World Cup.
The 35-year-old continued: “Kudos to Luke Littler for an incredible tournament and a well-deserved win in the final. Thank you to all my fans and sponsors for the incredible support throughout the tournament, it means the world to me!”
Now it is time “for a vacation and preparation for the challenges of 2025,” wrote van Gerwen.
Van Gerwen: Luke Littler a champion
The three-time world champion quickly fell 4-0 behind in the duel with Littler at Ally Pally. A mortgage that was ultimately too big. Van Gerwen showed morale, but in the end he had to admit defeat 3:7 in the sets. The darts superstar is still waiting for his first world title since 2019.
Shortly after the final, van Gerwen praised his opponent highly. “Every 17 years a champion is born, Luke is one of them,” said the Dutchman in an interview with Sky Sports. Van Gerwen was alluding to the age difference between him and Littler.
As consolation for the lost World Cup final, van Gerwen has the prize money of 200,000 pounds (around 240,000 euros). In the world rankings, the long-time dominator is now in third place behind the two Englishmen Luke Humphries (1st) and Littler (2nd).
The next big event on the PDC tour is the Masters, which takes place in Milton Keynes from January 30th to February 2nd.