Dream duo for the Netherlands at the World Cup of Darts: Michael van Gerwen confirms participation alongside Gian van Veen

It had long been on the cards, but now it’s official: Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen will team up to represent the Netherlands at the upcoming World Cup of Darts.

The World Cup of Darts is a unique tournament where players, for a change, don’t compete individually but in pairs for their country. The two highest-ranked players on the PDC Order of Merit form the duo. For the Netherlands, that means Van Veen and Van Gerwen, currently ranked 3 and 4.

Van Gerwen chose several times in recent years not to play the team event. He skipped 2022, 2023, and last year. In 2024 he did play alongside Danny Noppert, but they went out together in the second round. Now, however, he has decided that he will be present at the next edition.

Speaking to Viaplay, Van Gerwen confirmed he will travel to the tournament in Frankfurt with Van Veen. “Yes, I’ve already said so. We discussed it together,” he said, nodding to his compatriot sitting beside him. “I’m going to play the World Cup this year.”

If we go strictly by the rankings, Van Veen would be the team’s number one. Whether that will be the case during the event remains to be seen. ‘The Giant’ has hinted before that, in his view, Van Gerwen is still the Dutch number one. Whoever ends up leading, Van Gerwen is certainly eager for the partnership. “It will be our first time together. I’m really looking forward to it.”

With this pairing, the Netherlands rank among the outright favorites for the title. Only one nation sits higher by seeding. England boast Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, the world number one and two, as their duo. Another dangerous pairing is Wales, with Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price currently ranked 5 and 10 in the world.

With this new duo, the Netherlands could claim the title for the first time since 2018. Recent editions of the World Cup of Darts have been far from successful. After Van Barneveld’s departure in 2019, the Netherlands clearly searched for the perfect partnership. From 2019 through 2021, Van Gerwen played with Jermaine Wattimena, Dirk van Duijvenbode, and Danny Noppert. He reached the semi-finals with Wattimena, but with Van Duijvenbode and Noppert he fell at the quarter-final stage.

In 2022 and 2023, due to Van Gerwen’s absence, the Netherlands fielded Dirk van Duijvenbode and Danny Noppert, and that also proved no winning formula. Although they made the semi-finals on their first outing, they went out in the second round the following year against Belgium.

A year later Van Gerwen returned, pairing with Noppert as in 2020. But just like the year before, the Netherlands did not get past the second round. Once again Belgium were too strong, this time convincingly by 8-2. Last year Gian van Veen made his World Cup debut, again alongside Noppert. Although they seemed well-drilled and formed a strong duo, they also went no further than the semi-finals.

With the two best Dutch players of the moment, the Netherlands now appear ready to mount a serious title challenge. For Van Gerwen it could be a fifth title, and his first without Raymond van Barneveld. For Van Veen it would mean winning his first medal for the Netherlands. On paper, this is the dream duo for the Dutch in every respect.