"After four weeks I was near the bottom of the table": Luke Littler's emotions run high after epic Premier League final win

Luke Littler won the 2026 Premier League Darts title on Thursday night at The O2 Arena after what may well have been the greatest final in the tournament’s history. In a breathtaking contest, the world champion defeated his great rival Luke Humphries 11-10, with both players producing an astonishingly high standard throughout.

For Littler, it marked his second Premier League title after previously winning the 2024 edition. Humphries, the defending champion from last year, came agonisingly close to retaining his crown but was ultimately beaten in a deciding leg of absolute world-class quality.

Beforehand, it already felt inevitable that the final would be something special. Littler and Humphries are currently regarded as the two best players in the world and had already shown in previous major finals that they are capable of pushing each other to the absolute limit.

Even so, the match in London exceeded every expectation. Littler finished with a sensational 111.67 average and also fired in twelve maximums. Humphries was barely behind him and produced a string of legs of exceptional quality himself.

In the end, the 21st leg proved decisive. Humphries started the final leg with the throw and suddenly looked to have a real chance of retaining the title. But, as happened so many times throughout the evening, the momentum shifted completely once again. Littler continued to score heavily and immediately piled pressure on Humphries. Eventually, he earned another opportunity at double 20, the very same double he had missed only minutes earlier. This time he pinned it.

After the match, Littler was visibly emotional. The world champion spoke openly about the difficult start to his Premier League campaign earlier in the season especially surrounding Van Veen gate in Manchester as he admitted that he nearly gave up.

“This has been a rollercoaster,” reflected an emotional Littler. "After four weeks I was near the bottom of the table, then on Night Five I won my first night.

“I’ve had to pick myself up after some tough times, but I’m here with the trophy!”

With this victory, Littler takes yet another remarkable step in his meteoric career. He has now won all three major PDC ranking events of 2026 and continues to prove week after week why he is currently considered the undisputed number one in the darts world.

The final also provided the latest chapter in the increasingly fascinating rivalry between Littler and Humphries. In 2024, Littler came out on top in the Premier League final, while Humphries gained revenge a year later with an 11-8 victory. The decisive third meeting has now gone Littler’s way again, securing his second Premier League title.

With this latest triumph, Littler also joins an elite group. Only darts legends Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson had previously won multiple Premier League titles.

Given his age and current form, there is every chance that Littler will add to that tally many more times in the years ahead. Above all, Thursday night in London made one thing abundantly clear: the rivalry between Littler and Humphries has everything needed to dominate top-level darts for years to come.