ANALYSIS | Belgium at the 2025 World Cup of Darts: No Kim Huybrechts, Mike De Decker’s debut, and fitness doubts over Van den Bergh

The 2025 World Cup of Darts kicks off this Thursday in Frankfurt, with forty nations vying for one of the most prestigious titles in the sport. Belgium, always a strong performer in this team-format tournament, are once again among the sides to watch — but they're doing so with a new look.

For the first time in years, Kim Huybrechts won't be wearing Belgian colours. In his place, Mike De Decker—fresh off a breakthrough year—steps in alongside Dimitri Van den Bergh. It’s a big change for Belgian fans, who had grown used to the fiery Huybrechts leading the charge. But with De Decker and Van den Bergh both in fine form (on paper, at least), hopes are high. The big question: can Belgium finally convert promise into silverware?

Belgium have featured in every edition of the World Cup since its inception in 2010. That first year, Patrick Bulen and Rocco Maes represented the nation, bowing out in the second round to Canada.

In 2012, after the PDC skipped a year, a new pairing emerged: Kim Huybrechts and Kurt Van de Rijck. The Belgians reached the quarter-finals before being edged out by Australia.

Then came 2013 — the year Belgian darts truly arrived on the world stage. Kim Huybrechts returned, this time joined by his older brother Ronny. The sibling pairing gelled instantly, storming to the final before falling to a star-studded England side featuring Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis. An emotional run, the Huybrechts brothers dedicated their achievement to their late father.

Over the following years, Kim and Ronny became regular fixtures, delivering consistent results: three semi-final appearances and a quarter-final, though the trophy always remained out of reach.

By 2018, a new name had risen in Belgian darts: Dimitri Van den Bergh. He replaced Ronny Huybrechts in the national side and quickly built a successful partnership with Kim. In their debut outing, they reached the semi-finals, only falling to the Netherlands.

In the years that followed, the Kim-Dimitri duo remained competitive, with one exception — 2021 — when they suffered a surprise second-round defeat to Austria. By 2023, Van den Bergh was no longer just a promising talent; he was a major champion, having claimed the World Matchplay title. Once again, Belgium were touted as dark horses.

But the 2023 campaign began with drama. In their opening match against Finland — despite a 4–0 victory — Kim and Dimitri appeared completely disconnected on stage, not even acknowledging each other. Behind the scenes, tensions were high. It took the intervention of Mac Elkin (Van den Bergh’s current manager and Huybrechts’ former one) to broker peace between the two. From that point on, they put their differences aside and powered through to yet another semi-final, eventually falling to the Welsh duo of Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price, who went on to lift the title.

In 2024, Huybrechts and Van den Bergh reached the semi-finals for a fourth time together — but once again, Austria proved their undoing. That defeat may have marked the end of an era: following the tournament, Huybrechts dropped below Mike De Decker in the world rankings.

De Decker, nicknamed The Real Deal, had just captured his first major at the World Grand Prix and was riding a wave of form. He's since overtaken even Van den Bergh in the rankings, officially making him Belgium’s number one.

Now, for the first time, De Decker will partner Van den Bergh at the World Cup. It’s a new dynamic, but one that carries promise. The two get on well, are comfortable in doubles formats, and both have proven they can deliver under pressure.

Still, not everything is rosy. There are serious questions surrounding Van den Bergh’s current condition. In April, he pulled out of Players Championship 13 in Rosmalen just four minutes before his match — citing undisclosed reasons — and hasn’t played a competitive match since.

Can The DreamMaker hit the ground running? That’s a huge unknown, and one that could define Belgium’s tournament.

Compounding the uncertainty is a challenging group-stage draw. As the sixth seeds, Belgium must navigate a three-team group in which only the winner advances to the knockout rounds. They'll face Latvia and a dangerous Philippines side.

Latvia’s top man, Madars Razma, is solid, but his partner Valters Melderis is far less proven. On paper, Belgium should have the edge.

But it’s the Philippines who pose the bigger threat. They return with veteran Lourence Ilagan — still going strong after reaching the semi-finals at the 2009 Winmau World Masters — and Paolo Nebrida, who impressed at the most recent World Championship by reaching the last 32. Belgium beat a weaker Filipino side comfortably last year, but this version is far more competitive.

In a best-of-seven-legs format, one bad leg or one missed double can spell disaster. There’s no room for error.

The pressure will be on during the group stage. But if Belgium make it out, they'll be a genuine threat in the knockout rounds. With De Decker’s confidence and Van den Bergh’s big-stage pedigree, this duo has the tools to make a serious run.

Perhaps more importantly, they genuinely enjoy playing together — an invaluable asset in a tournament built entirely on teamwork and chemistry.

For Belgium, the wait for World Cup glory continues. But with a fresh partnership and high ambitions, 2025 might just be the year they finally break through.