European Championship Darts 2026 - Ross Smith breaks German hearts in Dortmund to end the Schindler fairy tale and claim third major title of his career

Ross Smith is the European champion once again! Four years after claiming his maiden major title in Dortmund, the Englishman returned to the top of European darts with an 11-8 victory over Martin Schindler in Sunday's final, silencing a passionate home crowd and denying the German number one a historic first individual televised PDC major triumph at the 2026 European Championship.

The Englishman had looked to be cruising towards victory with a commanding 9-3 advantage, only for Schindler to produce a spirited comeback featuring spectacular 116 and 127 checkouts. Four consecutive legs gave the home favourite and his supporters renewed hope, but Smith survived a nervous finish to add another European crown to the World Series of Darts Finals title he won in Amsterdam in September.

Schindler received an extraordinary reception as he walked onto the stage, but Smith quickly settled into the occasion, holding throw with a 62 checkout to take the opening leg. The German responded with a pressure double top to level, and neither player could establish a break during the early exchanges.

Both had opportunities to change that. Schindler missed chances to steal the third leg before Smith escaped on double four, while the home favourite subsequently wired the bullseye for a spectacular 170 checkout in the fifth. Smith punished that miss to take a narrow 3-2 advantage into the first interval.

Schindler opened the next leg with a maximum, but another missed bullseye, this time for an 81 finish, handed Smith his first opportunity to break. The Englishman needed no second invitation, pinning double eight to establish a two-leg cushion.

From there, Smith's scoring began to overwhelm the German number one. A 67 checkout secured another break of throw, and the former champion followed with further maximums as he stretched his winning streak to six consecutive legs. A 91 finish completed a session whitewash and moved Smith 8-2 ahead, leaving the previously raucous Dortmund crowd stunned.

Schindler finally stopped the rot in the following leg, taking advantage of missed doubles to break throw, but Smith immediately restored his six-leg advantage to lead 9-3.

The German's response was spectacular. Having broken Smith's throw on double five, he followed with a 60 checkout before producing a magnificent 116 finish on double 18. The home crowd, increasingly vocal in its support and beginning to boo Smith at the oche, suddenly had reason to believe the final might yet turn in Schindler's favour.

A stunning 127 checkout on the bullseye after the interval made it four consecutive legs for Schindler, reducing the deficit to 9-7 and bringing the Westfalenhalle to its feet once more.

Smith finally halted the charge in the 17th leg. A rare loose leg from Schindler gave him several opportunities to finish, and although the Englishman missed double top, double ten and double five, he eventually returned to pin double five and move within one leg of victory.

Schindler kept his hopes alive with a composed 13-dart hold, featuring his fifth 180 of the final, but Smith now had the advantage of throwing for the championship.

A tenth maximum put Smith in command of the decisive leg, although there was still time for another nervous finish. He missed his first match dart at double top, followed by three more opportunities on his next visit. Schindler was unable to apply sufficient pressure, however, and Smith eventually found double five to complete an 11-8 victory.

Smith finished with a 92.92 average to Schindler's 91.49, his ten maximums proving particularly valuable during the spell in which he seized control of the final. Alongside the £150,000 top prize, he secured a second European Championship crown, while Schindler's defeat brought an end to the first individual televised major final of his career.

Smith's route began with a nervy 6-4 victory over Karel Sedlacek, surviving a succession of missed match darts before overcoming Damon Heta 10-7 in the second round. A more assured display followed against Luke Woodhouse in Sunday's quarter-finals, where a 145 checkout helped the 2022 champion to a 10-6 victory and set up another meeting with Gerwyn Price, whom he had beaten in the World Series of Darts Finals decider in Amsterdam earlier in the season.

Price made the stronger start to their semi-final, opening up a 4-1 advantage, but Smith gradually took control through his scoring power. Back-to-back maximums helped him break throw in the 13th leg despite a remarkable sequence of missed doubles from both players, and he eventually moved 10-6 clear. Price briefly threatened a comeback, but another chaotic finishing leg ended with Smith pinning double two for an 11-7 victory.

Schindler had been pushed all the way in the opening round by Wessel Nijman, edging through 6-5 before a much more convincing 10-4 defeat of Jermaine Wattimena. The German then produced one of the most emphatic victories of the tournament against Jonny Clayton in Sunday's quarter-finals, averaging 103.16 and landing a spectacular 167 checkout in a 10-1 demolition.

His semi-final against Krzysztof Ratajski, who had eliminated Luke Littler earlier in the afternoon, followed a similar pattern initially. Two 180s contributed to an 11-dart leg as Schindler raced into an 8-2 lead, before extending his advantage to 9-3. Ratajski fought back to 9-6 as the German struggled to finish the contest, but Schindler eventually regained control, sealing an 11-6 victory on double five to reach his first individual televised major final.