European Darts Open 2026: Results, Preview, Draw, Schedule, Field, History, Format and Predictions
PDCSunday, 12 July 2026 at 23:03
The European Darts Open 2026 is due to take place between July 10-12, 2026 and is the tenth of fifteen PDC European Tour events on the 2026 ProTour at the Ostermann-Arena in Leverkusen.
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It features a field of 48 players and £230,000 in prize money, with £35,000 going to the winner. Nathan Aspinall will be the defending champion having defeated Damon Heta 8-6 in the 2025 final.
Gian van Veen leads the way alongside Michael van Gerwen, Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price with Luke Littler and Luke Humphries continuing not to play the European Tour over Summer.
Preview European Darts Open Day Two
Into the final day in Leverkusen we got with the third round this afternoon followed by the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Final this evening.
Jonny Clayton is in one of the main ties as The Ferret who was imperious in facing off against Karel Sedlacek faces off against Luke Woodhouse. Dirk van Duijvenbode also tackles the big Dutch derby against Wessel Nijman.
Michael van Gerwen takes on Damon Heta also following that. Ryan Joyce faces Jermaine Wattimena to start proceedings off. While Kevin Doets faces Sebastian Bialecki. Then one of the stories of the weekend in Jan Schmidt faces James Wade. Nathan Aspinall faces Ross Smith in the other stand out tie before Gian van Veen takes on Krzysztof Ratajski.
Draw European Darts Open 2026
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| Player 1 | v | Player 2 |
| Stephen Bunting | v | Ryan Joyce/Mio Varila |
| Jermaine Wattimena | v | Kim Huybrechts/Samuel Price |
| Jonny Clayton | v | Karel Sedlacek/Rhys Griffin |
| Luke Woodhouse | v | Mario Vandenbogaerde/Dragutin Horvat |
| Chris Dobey | v | Dirk van Duijvenbode/Jaimy Van de Weerd |
| Wessel Nijman | v | Lukas Wenig/Bradley Brooks |
| Michael van Gerwen | v | Joe Cullen/Charlie Manby |
| Damon Heta | v | Andrew Gilding/Rob Owen |
| Danny Noppert | v | William O'Connor/Sebastian Bialecki |
| Martin Schindler | v | Kevin Doets/Dominik Gruellich |
| James Wade | v | Daryl Gurney/Maik Kuivenhoven |
| Mike De Decker | v | Cameron Menzies/Jan Schmidt |
| Nathan Aspinall | v | Mickey Mansell/Michal Smejda |
| Ross Smith | v | Niels Zonneveld/Daniel Klose |
| Gian van Veen | v | Niko Springer/Darius Labanauskas |
| Krzysztof Ratajski | v | Rob Cross/Max Hopp |
Schedule European Darts Open 2026
Friday July 10
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
| Player 1 | v | Player 2 | Round |
| Ryan Joyce | (85.49) 6-1 (72.53) | Mio Varila | R1 |
| Karel Sedlacek | (88.84) 6-5 (89.04) | Rhys Griffin | R1 |
| Mario Vandenbogaerde | (74.7) 2-6 (79.52) | Dragutin Horvat | R1 |
| Andrew Gilding | (91.68) 5-6 (97.89) | Rob Owen | R1 |
| Cameron Menzies | (94.81) 5-6 (89.17) | Jan Schmidt | R1 |
| Mickey Mansell | (85.75) 6-1 (78.03) | Michal Smejda | R1 |
| Lukas Wenig | (83.71) 2-6 (87.11) | Bradley Brooks | R1 |
| Dirk van Duijvenbode | (89.35) 6-3 (87.59) | Jaimy Van de Weerd | R1 |
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Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
| Player 1 | v | Player 2 | Round |
| Kim Huybrechts | (91.76) 6-1 (78.74) | Samuel Price | R1 |
| Daryl Gurney | (85.98) 3-6 (93.49) | Maik Kuivenhoven | R1 |
| William O'Connor | (84.93) 5-6 (86.17) | Sebastian Bialecki | R1 |
| Rob Cross | (93.30) 3-6 (95.34) | Max Hopp | R1 |
| Joe Cullen | (97.62) 6-4 (93.69) | Charlie Manby | R1 |
| Kevin Doets | (98.72) 6-4 (84.76) | Dominik Gruellich | R1 |
| Niko Springer | (105.21) 6-2 (83.20) | Darius Labanauskas | R1 |
| Niels Zonneveld | (98.54) 6-2 (98.78) | Daniel Klose | R1 |
Saturday July 11
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
| Player 1 | v | Player 2 | Round |
| Damon Heta | (92.06) 6-4(86.37) | Rob Owen | R2 |
| Mike De Decker | (78.16) 5-6(81.86) | Jan Schmidt | R2 |
| Luke Woodhouse | (91.09)6-0(75.65) | Dragutin Horvat | R2 |
| Danny Noppert | (98.26) 3-6 (98.77) | Sebastian Bialecki | R2 |
| Jermaine Wattimena | (92.97) 6-0 (78.97) | Kim Huybrechts | R2 |
| Chris Dobey | (95.55) 2-6 (94.65) | Dirk van Duijvenbode | R2 |
| Wessel Nijman | (94.93) 6-0 (86.86) | Bradley Brooks | R2 |
| Krzysztof Ratajski | (94.07) 6-3 (92.37) | Max Hopp | R2 |
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Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
| Player 1 | v | Player 2 | Round |
| Stephen Bunting | (87.50) 4-6 (91.23) | Ryan Joyce | R2 |
| James Wade | (89.58) 6-4 (88.1) | Maik Kuivenhoven | R2 |
| Jonny Clayton | (99.44) 6-1 (97.93) | Karel Sedlacek | R2 |
| Michael van Gerwen | (99.61) 6-2 (93.32) | Joe Cullen | R2 |
| Gian van Veen | (101.59) 6-3 (102.84) | Niko Springer | R2 |
| Martin Schindler | (79.12) 3-6 (90.56) | Kevin Doets | R2 |
| Nathan Aspinall | (107.23) 6-1 (93.57) | Mickey Mansell | R2 |
| Ross Smith | (100.24) 6-1 (85.89) | Niels Zonneveld | R2 |
Sunday July 12
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
| Player 1 | v | Player 2 | Round |
| Ryan Joyce | (83.05) 1-6 (89.66) | Jermaine Wattimena | R3 |
| Jonny Clayton | (93.76) 5-6 (98.29) | Luke Woodhouse | R3 |
| Dirk van Duijvenbode | (91.38) 6-3 (96.64) | Wessel Nijman | R3 |
| Michael van Gerwen | (98.32) 4-6 (100.74) | Damon Heta | R3 |
| Sebastian Bialecki | (102.15) 6-4 (98.28) | Kevin Doets | R3 |
| James Wade | (86.54) 6-2 (80.15) | Jan Schmidt | R3 |
| Nathan Aspinall | (96.31) 6-4 (94.77) | Ross Smith | R3 |
| Gian van Veen | (88.91) 3-6 (91.80) | Krzysztof Ratajski | R3 |
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Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
| Player 1 | v | Player 2 | Round |
| Jermaine Wattimena | (90.16) 6-5 (89.49) | Luke Woodhouse | QF |
| Dirk van Duijvenbode | (90.30) 2-6 (96.15) | Damon Heta | QF |
| Sebastian Bialecki | (96.93) 6-2 (86.71) | James Wade | QF |
| Nathan Aspinall | (89.87) 4-6 (92.59) | Krzysztof Ratajski | QF |
| Jermaine Wattimena | (86.67) 7-3 (88.52) | Damon Heta | SF |
| Sebastian Bialecki | (94.57) 5-7 (100.40) | Krzysztof Ratajski | SF |
| Jermaine Wattimena | (86.73) 6-8 (92.43) | Krzysztof Ratajski | F |
Field European Darts Open 2026
Seeded Players
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| Seed | Player | Nation |
| 1 | Gian van Veen | Netherlands |
| 2 | Michael van Gerwen | Netherlands |
| 3 | Jonny Clayton | Wales |
| 4 | James Wade | England |
| 5 | Gerwyn Price | Wales |
| 6 | Danny Noppert | Netherlands |
| 7 | Stephen Bunting | England |
| 8 | Gary Anderson | Scotland |
| 9 | Chris Dobey | England |
| 10 | Ryan Searle | England |
| 11 | Nathan Aspinall | England |
| 12 | Ross Smith | England |
| 13 | Wessel Nijman | Netherlands |
| 14 | Jermaine Wattimena | Netherlands |
| 15 | Martin Schindler | Germany |
| 16 | Mike De Decker | Belgium |
PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit Qualifiers
| Player | Nation |
| Kevin Doets | Netherlands |
| Luke Woodhouse | England |
| Niko Springer | Germany |
| Damon Heta | Australia |
| Dirk van Duijvenbode | Netherlands |
| Krzysztof Ratajski | Poland |
| Niels Zonneveld | Netherlands |
| Daryl Gurney | Northern Ireland |
| William O'Connor | Republic of Ireland |
| Andrew Gilding | England |
| Joe Cullen | England |
| Cameron Menzies | Scotland |
| Ryan Joyce | England |
| Karel Sedláček | Czech Republic |
| Rob Cross | England |
| Kim Huybrechts | Belgium |
Tour Card Qualifiers
| Player | Nation |
| Mario Vandenbogaerde | Belgium |
| Sebastian Białecki | Poland |
| Bradley Brooks | England |
| Rhys Griffin | Wales |
| Darius Labanauskas | Lithuania |
| Samuel Price | England |
| Lukas Wenig | Germany |
| Maik Kuivenhoven | Netherlands |
| Charlie Manby | England |
| Mickey Mansell | Republic of Ireland |
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Host Nation Qualifiers
| Player | Nation |
| Jaimy Van de Weerd | Germany |
| Dragutin Horvat | Germany |
| Daniel Klose | Germany |
| Jan Schmidt | Germany |
Nordic & Baltic Qualifier
| Player | Nation |
| Mio Varila | Finland |
East European Qualifier
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| Player | Nation |
| Michal Smejda | Czech Republic |
History European Darts Open 2026
| Year | Winner | Result | Runner-up |
| 2025 | Nathan Aspinall | 8-6 | Damon Heta |
| 2024 | Dave Chisnall | 8-6 | Ross Smith |
| 2023 | Gerwyn Price | 8-7 | Dirk van Duijvenbode |
| 2022 | Michael van Gerwen | 8-5 | Dimitri Van den Bergh |
| 2019 | Michael van Gerwen | 8-6 | Rob Cross |
| 2018 | Michael van Gerwen | 8-7 | Peter Wright |
| 2017 | Peter Wright | 6-2 | Mervyn King |
| 2016 | Michael van Gerwen | 6-5 | Peter Wright |
| 2015 | Robert Thornton | 6-2 | Kim Huybrechts |
| 2014 | Peter Wright | 6-2 | Simon Whitlock |
| 2013 | Michael van Gerwen | 6-2 | Simon Whitlock |
| 2012 | Raymond van Barneveld | 6-4 | Dave Chisnall |
Format European Darts Open 2026
| Round | Match Format | Legs Needed to Win |
| First Round | Best of 11 legs | First to 6 |
| Second Round | Best of 11 legs | First to 6 |
| Third Round | Best of 11 legs | First to 6 |
| Quarter-Finals | Best of 11 legs | First to 6 |
| Semi-Finals | Best of 13 legs | First to 7 |
| Final | Best of 15 legs | First to 8 |
Predictions European Darts Open 2026
Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com has picked Michael van Gerwen.
I see Michael van Gerwen at some point finally winning one of these and it could be this weekend. He's shown glimmers of form and so is a real pick I also see good things for Jonny Clayton and James Wade.
While Wessel Nijman is always a good pick. Same with Luke Woodhouse. Previous winners and also have all been playing well also on the ProTour since then.
Either way we're in for a good weekend!
Favourites
*** Michael van Gerwen
** Jonny Clayton, James Wade
* Wessel Nijman, Luke Woodhouse
Michael van Gerwen celebrates.
Lucas Michael, Editor for DartsNews.com sees Nathan Aspinall winning again.
Back to the European Tour, and back to Germany with Leverkusen playing host to the next instalment. A lot of big names venture to the European Darts Open with glory on their mind, boosted by Luke Littler and Luke Humphries not making the trip.
Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen have not enjoyed much success on the European Tour in 2026 but are the number one and two seeds once more as they search for their best form. If they are to slip up again, in which their inconsistent form makes me believe that they could do, a door is opened for the chasing pack.
Gerwyn Price and Josh Rock will also not take any part, leaving a vast variety of possible title contenders. Wessel Nijman needs to get a mention. The winning machine has already won eight PDC ranking titles in 2026, two of which on the European Tour including last time out at the Slovak Darts Open.
The likes of Stephen Bunting, James Wade and Jonny Clayton expect to be in the business end of proceedings. Nathan Aspinall really catches my eye. While he has not played as much as others this year, I have a feeling that he could grind his way to glory, improving throughout the rounds enroute to a fifth Euro Tour title in two years.
Ross Smith, Chris Dobey, Rob Cross and Kevin Doets all deserve recognition but, in my eyes, the reigning champion will leave Leverkusen a back-to-back champion.
*** Nathan Aspinall
** Wessel Nijman, Michael van Gerwen
* Jonny Clayton, Ross Smith, Rob Cross
Read also
Mats Leering, Editor for DartsNieuws.com sees Aspinall also having a good weekend.
Gerwyn Price’s late withdrawal takes away one of the favourites for me. With Luke Littler and Luke Humphries also not competing this weekend, we have to look at some different names. Nathan Aspinall and Wessel Nijman are the two players who stand out as my main contenders for the title. Nijman has been in outstanding form recently and has already won two European Tour titles this year. With Aspinall, I simply have a feeling that this could be his weekend.
A few other names I see as potential outsiders are Kevin Doets, Jonny Clayton and Luke Woodhouse. Doets and Woodhouse have both been performing at a high level for quite some time now and it would not be a surprise to see either of them make a deep run. Clayton, meanwhile, is always capable of winning a tournament, especially when several of the biggest names are missing from the field. Michael van Gerwen could also return to winning ways, but that completely depends on which version of him turns up.
Other players I am looking forward to watching are Niels Zonneveld, Kim Huybrechts and Bradley Brooks. Zonneveld and Huybrechts have both produced some strong performances on the European Tour this season and, with a bit of momentum, they are definitely capable of reaching the final day. Brooks, in my opinion, has been regarded as a big talent for a long time, although he has not always managed to show his full potential. I am interested to see whether this could finally be the weekend where everything clicks and he puts together a strong run.
*** Nathan Aspinall
** Wessel Nijman, Jonny Clayton
* Luke Woodhouse, Michael van Gerwen, Kevin Doets
While Pieter Verbeek, Editor for DartsNieuws.com sees good signs for Jonny Clayton.
Somehow, I have a good feeling about Jonny Clayton heading into this weekend. The Welshman has been playing consistently well throughout 2026, although he's still waiting to get his hands on a title this season. On top of that, Clayton has landed in a favourable section of the draw at the European Darts Open and, on paper, should be reaching at least the quarter-finals in Leverkusen.
If 'The Ferret' does make it to the semi-finals, there's a strong possibility he'll come up against a Dutch opponent. Dirk van Duijvenbode, Wessel Nijman and Michael van Gerwen are all in the second quarter of the draw. Nijman has already claimed two European Tour titles this season, including the most recent event in Slovakia. I also expect Van Gerwen to arrive fully focused this weekend. With the World Matchplay just around the corner, this is an important tournament for his ranking ambitions. Motivation certainly shouldn't be an issue for 'Mighty Mike', and that's exactly what has occasionally been missing from his performances over the past few months.
The bottom half of the draw looks a little less intimidating than the top, which could open the door for an unexpected run to the final. Perhaps James Wade can take advantage. His last European Tour final dates back to 2018, so it's about time he changed that. Nathan Aspinall and Ross Smith are two other players I see as dangerous outsiders for this weekend's tournament.
*** Jonny Clayton
** Wessel Nijman, Michael van Gerwen
* James Wade, Nathan Aspinall, Ross Smith
Oliver Ried, Editor for DartsNews.DE is picking Stephen Bunting for the title in a more rogue pick.
The European Darts Open in Leverkusen is the final European Tour event before the World Matchplay. For many players, it's the last chance to build confidence and fine-tune their game ahead of one of the biggest tournaments of the year.
My pick to win the title is Stephen Bunting. He always enjoys playing in Germany and has been one of the most consistent performers on the PDC circuit this season. Another title here would be the perfect statement before the World Matchplay.
Nathan Aspinall is another player to watch. He has lacked a bit of match practice recently, and I think he needs regular competitive games to reach his very best level. Even so, he has the quality to win any European Tour event.
Wessel Nijman also has to be considered one of the favourites. The Dutchman is enjoying an outstanding season and has established himself as one of the most in-form players on tour. He'll be looking to continue that momentum in Leverkusen.
Jonny Clayton, Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen are also among the leading contenders, as all three have the quality to win the title and will be aiming to build even more confidence ahead of the World Matchplay. I'm also excited to see how the German players perform on home soil and whether they can produce a few surprises.
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
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.
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