“Even England, we can beat the outright favourites” – Martin Schindler believes in a World Cup of Darts upset despite Germany’s concerns

The omens for the German team at the World Cup of Darts 2026 are far from ideal. Martin Schindler has been struggling with his form for months, while Ricardo Pietreczko has recently been open about battling dartitis. Nevertheless, Germany’s number one heads to Frankfurt with confidence and still sees a chance for the German duo to spring a surprise.

Speaking to SID, Schindler focused mainly on his teammate’s situation. He explained that outsiders can hardly grasp what dartitis actually feels like. At first, he himself did not recognise the extent of the problem.

“I believe dartitis is really one of those things—if you’re not in it yourself, or you’ve never had it, you don’t really know how it feels or what it’s like. At first, when the problem started, I didn’t even really see it or recognise it as a problem. He actually said to me at one point that he was having problems releasing the third dart. And from that third dart, it basically turned into all three darts feeling like a problem."

Schindler revealed that Pietreczko is now working intensively on a solution and is being supported by a mental coach. He himself has hardly been able to offer his teammate any advice. “He’s trying, and he’s working with a mental coach to improve it and get better. I personally couldn’t really give him any concrete advice or tips.”

At the same time, Pietreczko has repeatedly assured him he will be ready in time for the World Cup of Darts. “He gave me his trust by saying, 'Martin, by the World Cup I’ll be ready again, I’ll be fit again, and I’ll get everything sorted'.” Pietreczko showed an upturn in form in recent weeks. With a modified throwing style, he reached the last 16 in Riesa as the best German player.

For Schindler, the way his teammate is handling the difficult situation shows a remarkable personal development. He praised how Pietreczko is taking on the challenge and facing it head-on. “I think it’s really great for Ricardo. I believe this is another milestone in his personality and his development. He’s facing a real challenge now, a proper obstacle, and he has to push through it. And he is working on it, and I think that’s great to see."

Despite the current issues for both players, Schindler looks ahead to the tournament with optimism. The World Cup in Frankfurt has always been a special experience for him in recent years. At the same time, he believes Germany can be dangerous even in its current state. For Schindler, it is more than just a home event. He lives in Rodgau, less than 30 minutes from Frankfurt.

The first goal is to make it out of the group against the Philippines and New Zealand, but Schindler still believes his team can trouble nations rated much stronger. “I’m really looking forward to playing in Frankfurt again. In recent years it has been a lot of fun for me; it’s been a great tournament with an excellent atmosphere, and I really hope it will be the same again this year.”

Germany’s number one also knows the starting position before the tournament is not ideal. Neither he nor Pietreczko arrives in peak form. Even so, Schindler believes Germany can be dangerous. “We have, in inverted commas, a difficult starting position. But honestly, even though we are not in great form at the moment, we can still beat a number of nations.”

The Strausberg native even sees chances against the top favourites if the Germans have a good day. “Even England, if we have a few good moments on our side, we can beat the outright favourites.”

However, Schindler’s focus is initially solely on the group stage. The Philippines and New Zealand await the German duo there as two awkward opponents. “For us, the main priority is still to get through the group. And if we manage that, we will already have achieved something important. Of course, then you can start thinking about the draw and the last 16, but first and foremost, New Zealand and the Philippines are our tasks.”

The fact that Germany is currently not among the most-mentioned title contenders hardly bothers Schindler. On the contrary, the underdog role could even help. “There is a very strange German saying, I don’t like it, but it probably fits: ‘The supposedly dead live longer.’ And I think both Ricardo and I are currently living by that.”

The World Cup of Darts begins on Thursday evening at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt. For Schindler and Pietreczko, the tournament starts with the group match against the Philippines. On Friday, New Zealand awaits.