The Dutch are the only pairing in Danny Noppert and Dirk van Duijvenbode out of the top four seeds to lose out in their openers with England, Scotland and Wales all moving through.
It was a close match for most of the tie with eight consecutive holds before there were three breaks on the bounce. This saw Belgium lead 6-5 with a last dart double eight.
But a thrilling conclusion was incoming as Huybrechts took out 108 to move one away from victory at 7-5.
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But the Dutch duo hit back to make it 7-7 with Belgium needing to break in the deciding leg to move through.
Break they did to dump out Noppert and Van Duijvenbode as Van den Bergh took aim while Huybrechts looked on crouched down and couldn't watch. But it was a clutch double 16 when it mattered most for the Belgians.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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BELGIUM WIN A WORLD CUP CLASSIC! 🇧🇪
One of the greatest games in World Cup of Darts history sees Belgium break throw in a deciding leg to secure their spot in the quarter-finals!
Oh my word, what a match! 🔥
📺 bit.ly/WorldCup23Live#WorldCupofDarts | Last 16