First time since 2012! Michael van Gerwen loses Dutch number one status as Gian van Veen breaks through at Worlds

Michael van Gerwen’s defeat to Gary Anderson in the fourth round of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship has had far-reaching consequences. Not only did it spell an early end to his tournament, it also marked a historic moment in the world rankings. For the first time in over thirteen years, Van Gerwen is no longer the highest-ranked Dutchman within the PDC. That honour has been taken by Gian van Veen.

Van Gerwen had held that national top spot uninterrupted since October 2012. After his first world title in early 2014, he also rose to become the undisputed world number one, a status he maintained with overwhelming dominance for years.

Even as international competition grew stronger and world titles went to Peter Wright and later Michael Smith, Van Gerwen continued to occupy a permanent place at the top of the standings. Even after Luke Humphries and Luke Littler overtook him in recent seasons, a place in the global top three remained almost a given for a long time.

That era has now come to an end. The turn of the year from 2025 to 2026 marks a tipping point. Gian van Veen, who had impressed throughout the tournament, moved definitively past Van Gerwen on the Order of Merit with his convincing win over Luke Humphries.

The 23-year-old Dutchman played a near-flawless match, capitalised fully on the world number two’s misses and won 5-1 in sets with an average above 105. That secured not only a semifinal place, but also a position above Van Gerwen in the world rankings.

The result underscores the power shift that had been looming in recent years. Van Veen, already the European Championship winner this season, confirms with his World Championship performances that he has firmly broken into the world elite. His rise has direct consequences for Van Gerwen, who has slipped to fourth and could drop further, depending on the remaining results at Alexandra Palace.

Should Van Veen win the tournament, he would climb to world number two, with Luke Littler still unreachable in first. Meanwhile, further decline looms for Van Gerwen. A semifinal victory for Gary Anderson would also move the Scot ahead of the three-time world champion. And if Ryan Searle wins his semifinal as well, even sixth place for Van Gerwen is not out of the question.

Van Gerwen had already stated that, due to contractual agreements, he will play in the Premier League Darts in 2026. Thanks to Van Veen’s progress, we can look forward to at least two Dutchmen in the prestigious darts competition in 2026.