European Championship 2026 Prize Money: How much did Ross Smith and Martin Schindler earn in Dortmund?
PDC
The European Championship will take place from October 22-25
in Dortmund. It follows in the footsteps of 15 European Tour events in 2026,
with the ultimate prize now up for grabs.
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The top 32 players on the European Tour Order of Merit will
battle it out for a prize pot totalling at £750,000, with the winner collecting
£150,000.
Who is competing?
Gian van Veen is the reigning champion after successfully
clinching his maiden major title this time last year. He defeated Luke
Humphries in a last-leg decider. Humphries has since withdrawn.
He has never won this event before, and that is the same for
Luke Littler. All eyes will be on the 19-year-old who is eyeing the only major
title that has avoided his grasp. He won two European Tour events from three
involvements, enough to comfortably see him qualify.
Former champions Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, James Wade
and Ross Smith all have good chances of clinching more success in this
tournament. Also in action are the likes of Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, Josh
Rock, Wessel Nijman, Nathan Aspinall, Damon Heta, Chris Dobey and Dave Chisnall.
Read also
The prize money has increased from last time out, with the total
prize pot rising from £600,000 to £750,000. The champion will take home
£150,000, up £30,000. The lucrative reward will be just missed by the runner-up,
who will have to settle for £80,000. The two semi-finalists get £50,000, while a
quarter-final exit is worth £35,000. The second round is £20,000 with a loss in the
first round £7,500, in which all players are guaranteed to take home at a minimum.
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European Championship 2026 prize money
| Result | Prize Money |
| Winner | £150,000 |
| Runner-up | £80,000 |
| Semi-finalists | £50,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | £35,000 |
| Second round | £20,000 |
| First round | £7,500 |
| Total | £750,000 |
Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Well,I suppose if you don't play the tournaments ,then why should any player qualify? There are players who enter every tournament,and if they don't win it,they carry on, spending money they haven't won,yet certain players seem to think they should qualify. Winners only I thinkrick6714-11-2026
- Everyone knows what a fantastic champion Taylor was,but his performances in the seniors were poor. He wouldn't throw littler off stage,as he'd miss these days!!rick6712-11-2026
- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
- I often think about this very question. I think they should revive the format. They could even invite representatives from MODUS Super Series, with four series winners from the past year, and the ADC, with finalists from the Global Championship and perhaps other events. Why not throw in eligible representatives from the JDC and even the soft-tip game too?Deduce635811-11-2026
- So what if littler missed out, he doesnt have to enter everythingant10-11-2026
- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026