At the World Cup of Darts, the best two Tour Card holders from each country may compete. In countries where there are not two Tour Card holders, a qualifying tournament is usually played to designate the players who may represent their country.
For England this year, Luke Humphries and Michael Smith, ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in the world respectively, are competing at the World Cup of Darts. That means that darts fans around the world will have to miss Luke Littler. After all, the 17-year-old sensation currently ranks "only" 25th in the world rankings.
Some of the shirts you can admire at this year's World Cup of Darts
Wildcard
There have been calls among darts fans to change the qualification criteria for the World Cup of Darts. However, Richard Ashdown who is a well known master of ceremonies, referee and spotter both for WDF/BDO previously and now PDC has reservations about this. "Having a fixed criteria saves the argument. There's no disputing it. The only other way you could do it is like the other major tournaments.
"You could have the highest ranked and also the highest on form. So the one year ranking if you're going to offer an alternative. I don't like the let's just pick our favourite, there needs to be some structure and rules in place."
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.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.