Dragutin Horvat pulls off the miracle: These are the first 20 qualifiers for the PDC Europe Super League 2026

The PDC Europe NEXT GEN 2026 season could hardly have ended more dramatically. At the big finale weekend in Sindelfingen, Marcel Hausotter celebrated his first tournament win of the year on Saturday, before Dragutin Horvat delivered the story of the weekend on Sunday: “Hercules” absolutely needed the title at the very last event to keep his historic PDC Europe Super League streak alive – and he actually completed a comeback few still thought possible.

After 16 tournaments, the 20 players who qualified for the PDC Europe Super League via NEXT GEN are confirmed. From 10/11/2026 to 13/11/2026 they will battle for the coveted ticket to the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. Four more participants will come through the newly created PDC Europe Start series. First, though, a look back at a final weekend that produced one of the most remarkable stories of the darts year.

The PDC Europe NEXT GEN 2026 finale weekend opened on Saturday in Sindelfingen with Event 15. The penultimate tournament of the season featured a special format once more: “Master Out.” Unlike the classic Double Out, legs could be won not only on a double but also on a treble. That made, for example, a 180 checkout or a 60-point finish with a single dart possible.

In the end, Marcel Hausotter made the best use of the conditions. The Berliner secured his first NEXT GEN title of the season, taking his personal tally in the series to three. Earlier in the year at the fourth European Tour event in Munich, Hausotter made waves by beating Raymond van Barneveld and then pushing Jonny Clayton to a deciding leg.

Saturday did not start perfectly for “Hausi.” In the group phase he beat Nico Kasten comfortably twice by 3-0, but lost narrowly to youngster Lenny Schlüter on both occasions, 2-3.

Once the knockout phase began, however, Hausotter shifted up a gear. He swept past Marco Jung, Patrick Tringler and Daniel Neubauer by 4-1 each, before a 4-2 win over Kevin Troppmann booked his place in the quarter-finals.

There, the experienced Berliner gave Rowby-John Rodriguez hardly a chance in a clear 5-1. Oliver Keßler could not halt Hausotter’s run in the semi-finals either and went down 3-5.

In the final, Hausotter put the exclamation mark on his day. Against Tim Scholz he allowed nothing in a 6-0 whitewash, sealing his first NEXT GEN title of 2026 in dominant style.

A special storyline hovered over the Glaspalast in Sindelfingen on Sunday even before the first dart was thrown. Dragutin Horvat had played every single edition of the Super League and had already won the tournament twice, a record. Ahead of the closing event of PDC Europe NEXT GEN 2026, however, “Hercules” sat well outside the 16 qualifying places – and only a week earlier it seemed certain the Super League would take place without him for the first time.

Darts commentator Adrian Geiler initially reported that Horvat would not play the last two NEXT GEN tournaments of the season. But the two-time World Championship participant changed his mind. As Geiler later reported, Horvat was persuaded to compete after all. That set the stage for Sunday’s season finale, played in the classic FA Cup format: only the tournament win could still take Horvat into the Super League. Fittingly, his first NEXT GEN title of the season had to come at the very last event of the year.

And Horvat delivered. The German went unbeaten in the group stage. He swept past Luca Haberlach and Nico Schönberger 3–0, before edging past Luis Kirschenlohr 3–2 as “Hercules.”

But his spectacular comeback almost ended in the very first knockout tie. Against Alexander Presser, Horvat went the distance, held his nerve in the decider and scraped through 4–3.

His mission then gathered real momentum. A 4–1 win over Kevin Bielmeier was followed by two emphatic 4–0 victories against Marco Reichenpfader and Franz Rötzsch. That left Horvat just three wins from a qualification many had written off.

In the quarter-finals he barely gave Austrian Ralf Steininger a chance in a 5–2 win. His compatriot Patrick Reisenegger couldn’t stop Horvat in the semi-finals either and lost 3–5.

The final NEXT-GEN decider of the season could hardly have been more fitting. On one side stood Horvat, one win away from a sensational rescue. On the other was Jaimy van de Weerd, the 2026 season’s dominant force and clear leader of the overall standings. And of course, the final went the full distance.

Horvat showed the steadier hand in the last leg. Against the throw he left 48 and, on his second match dart, found double 16. The comeback was complete: Horvat won his first NEXT-GEN title of the season at the last possible attempt and punched his Super League ticket after all.

A season finale with near-unbeatable drama. First Horvat’s historic streak looked over, then he had planned to skip the decisive weekend — and in the end he saved his Super League place with a last-gasp tournament win. The Super League will not be without “Hercules” in 2026 either.

Where a darts fairytale is written, there is also a tragic figure. Kevin Jußen held 16th and the final qualifying spot until Horvat’s championship dart landed. Only with that last hit on double 16 was he knocked out of the Super League places — a bitter way to miss his debut.

With the conclusion of PDC Europe NEXT GEN 2026, 20 participants of this year’s PDC Europe Super League are set. They qualified via the series for the big fight for the coveted PDC World Championship ticket at the legendary Alexandra Palace.

The places are split across two rankings: The top 16 of the Main Order of Merit book their Super League ticket, as do the top four from the Youth Order of Merit. All 20 qualified players are listed below.

The Super League field is not yet complete. Four additional spots will be awarded via the newly created PDC Europe Start series, bringing the total to 24 players battling for the Worlds berth.

The PDC Europe Super League takes place this year from 10.11.2026 to 13.11.2026. That is when we’ll find out which qualifier takes the final step and secures the prized “Ally Pally” ticket.