ANALYSIS: 15 Dutch players at the 2026 World Darts Championship, with good chances for Michael van Gerwen, Danny Noppert and Gian van Veen.for Ally Pally success

At Alexandra Palace, the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship kicks off tonight. A total of fifteen Dutch players will be in action at this highlight of the darts year. On the opening night, Jamai van den Herik takes on Madars Razma.

With three Dutchmen in the top ten of the seedings list (Michael van Gerwen at 3, Danny Noppert at 6, and Gian van Veen at 10), there are certainly opportunities to go deep into the tournament. The World Championship is being contested with 128 players for the first time this year, which means everyone starts in the first round.

Below, we provide a preview of the matches for these Dutch players and venture a prediction on how far they can go.

We begin with the highest-ranked Dutchman on the world ranking, Michael van Gerwen. After a difficult year—hampered by personal issues—'Mighty Mike' still sits third. The 36-year-old from Vlijmen did win the World Series of Darts Finals and the German Darts Grand Prix, but it was still below par for someone of his stature. Van Gerwen traditionally performs well at the Worlds and is chasing a fourth world title. In his opening match he faces the little-known Japanese player Mitsuhiko Tatsunami. In the next round, William O'Connor or Krzysztof Kciuk shouldn’t be too much of an obstacle either. The first real test will likely only come in the third round against Peter Wright or Kim Huybrechts.

Danny Noppert has never been higher on the world ranking. The 35-year-old Dutchman enters the Worlds as the sixth seed. Noppert reached four major semifinals this year and heads to the World Championship with a great deal of confidence. However, he has never progressed beyond the last 32 at the Worlds. 'The Freeze' faces a compatriot right away in Jurjen van der Velde, who recently impressed at the Grand Slam of Darts. Not to be underestimated, but with Nick Kenny or Justin Hood to follow, and potentially Ritchie Edhouse in the third round, Noppert can’t complain about the draw. If all goes to plan, Noppert meets Van Gerwen in the quarterfinals.

Eighth in the world and the tenth seed at these Worlds, expectations for Gian van Veen are sky-high. The 23-year-old fully broke through this year by winning the European Championship. Van Veen then also won the World Youth Championship by defeating Beau Greaves in the final. 'GVV' now wants to make an impact at the Worlds as well, though he immediately faces a tricky opponent in Cristo Reyes in the opening round. The Spaniard held a PDC Tour Card a few years ago and returns to the Worlds after several years away. A potential third-round match against Dimitri Van den Bergh would set up a Netherlands-Belgium clash.

As a winner of two Players Championships this year, Jermaine Wattimena also heads to Ally Pally with plenty of confidence. The 37-year-old Dutchman has never gone beyond the last 32 at the Worlds, but that might change this year. Wattimena opens against Germany’s Dominik Grüllich and would then meet Scott Williams or Pablo Nebrida. None of them are to be underestimated, but an in-form Wattimena can handle it. Gary Anderson may await in the third round. One round further could bring a clash with Van Gerwen.

'Aubergenius' enters the Worlds as the 29th seed this year. Van Duijvenbode had a steady year on the Pro Tour, though real standout results were lacking. The 33-year-old Dutchman faces Belgian Andy Baetens in his opening match at the Worlds, who won the WDF World Championship two years ago. Baetens had a modest year on the Pro Tour but is capable of keeping up with Van Duijvenbode in scoring. If Van Duijvenbode negotiates this task successfully, a second-round tie with James Hurrell or Stowe Buntz awaits. A possible third round would pit him against Stephen Bunting.

At his second World Championship appearance, Wessel Nijman is a seed for the first time. The Dutchman, seeded 31st, impressed on the Pro Tour this year and faces the dangerous Czech Karel Sedlacek in the first round. If he wins, Gabriel Clemens or Alex Spellman awaits in the second round. A potential third round would see him up against Luke Humphries.

At his 33rd World Championship (BDO and PDC combined), Raymond van Barneveld is not seeded. The now 58-year-old from The Hague has had a particularly poor year, partly hampered by personal circumstances, though he could still add some color with a strong performance at the World Championship. After four world titles at the BDO and one at the PDC, a sixth world title seems very unlikely, but on a good day Van Barneveld can still beat anyone. The problem is he often lacks consistency and frequently looks very resigned. 'Barney' meets Swiss player Stefan Bellmont in the opening round, with a very tough task likely to follow against Damon Heta. Looking a bit further, the third round could pit him against Rob Cross.

Last year Kevin Doets made a big impression at Ally Pally by reaching the last 16. If Doets wants to repeat that feat, he’ll first have to get past Englishman Matthew Dennant in the opening round, certainly a winnable match. The second round would likely bring a clash with Belgian Mike De Decker. One round further on, Nathan Aspinall is the probable opponent.

In four previous World Championship appearances, Niels Zonneveld reached the second round only once. That should also be achievable this time; the 27-year-old Dutchman faces Haupai Puha in the first round, a very winnable tie. After that, however, Zonneveld will need an upset, with former world champion Michael Smith as a possible opponent. Smith has blown hot and cold this year—more often the latter—so we can see Zonneveld beating ‘Bullyboy’. A possible third round would then likely set up a meeting with Jonny Clayton.

Richard Veenstra is set for his ninth World Championship (BDO, WDF and PDC combined). ‘Flyers’ qualified fairly comfortably for this World Championship, though he lacked standout results. The 44-year-old opens his campaign against India’s Nitin Kumar. He should be able to win that match, but it gets much tougher after that with Stephen Bunting likely in the second round.

Chris Landman is at the PDC World Championship for the third time and has never gone beyond the second round. In 2023 he reached the final at the WDF World Championship, which he lost to Andy Baetens. Landman plays this World Championship under pressure, as his PDC Tour Card is at risk. He will need to win at least two matches to remain active on the Pro Tour next year. He opens his World Championship against Ryan Searle.

With two titles at the World Masters, Wesley Plaisier once made a big splash in the WDF. In the PDC, however, he has struggled to replicate those strong performances. Plaisier faces Germany’s Lukas Wenig in his World Championship opener, who recently impressed at the Grand Slam of Darts. A win would likely set up a second-round meeting with Gerwyn Price.

At his first World Championship, Jamai van den Herik gets to play on the opening night right away. The 22-year-old Dutchman faces the experienced Latvian Madars Razma. Still, we can see Van den Herik pulling off a minor upset. Dimitri Van den Bergh may await in the second round.

As discussed above, Jurjen van der Velde faces Danny Noppert in the first round. The 23-year-old Dutchman starts as the underdog, but he showed at the recent Grand Slam of Darts that he is in form. Van der Velde is primarily preparing for Q-School at the start of next year, where he hopes to regain his PDC Tour Card.

Noa-Lynn van Leuven is one of five women at this World Championship. In her second appearance at the PDC World Darts Championship, the 29-year-old Dutchwoman faces two-time former world champion Peter Wright in the opening round. Although Wright has had a poor year, it would still be a huge upset if Van Leuven were to come away with the win.