Five Ally Pally spots on the line: World Champions and major winners headline last-gasp Tour Card Holder Qualifier for the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship

The final route into the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship takes centre stage on 24 November 2025, as more than 50 Tour Card professionals converge for one of the most pressurised days of the season. With only five places available for Alexandra Palace, the Tour Card Holder (TCH) Qualifier traditionally delivers high-stakes drama, and this year’s edition looks even more competitive.

For many players, this is the last chance to reach the sport’s biggest stage. For others, it is an opportunity to recover a faltering season and turn December into a career springboard.

And with several major champions and established names in the field, the depth of quality is as strong as it has been in years.

The former Grand Slam champion enters the qualifier under the heaviest pressure of his PDC career. De Sousa is currently set to lose his Tour Card at the end of the season — meaning this qualifier represents a potential lifeline. If he can win through to Ally Pally and then produce a fairy-tale December run, he could yet save his place on the Pro Tour.

Does the Portuguese star still possess the scoring ability that once took him into the world’s top 10? With the stakes higher than ever, now would be the time to show it.

Klaasen remains one of the most recognisable Dutch players of the modern era, and 2025 has shown flashes of what he can still do at his best. Earlier this year he reached a Players Championship final, proving that he can still make deep runs on the floor. Outside of that, results have been quieter — but pedigree and experience could count for plenty on qualifier day.

A former BDO world champion with proven big-match temperament, he remains a genuine danger in this format.

Alongside his Lakeside world title, Kist’s recent Ally Pally history adds intrigue. He was famously Luke Littler’s first ever opponent at the PDC World Championship two years ago and last year produced one of the moments of the tournament by firing in a nine-darter on the Alexandra Palace stage.

Those flashes show that his top gear remains intact. If he can summon that level over the course of a long qualifier, Kist’s experience puts him firmly in the mix.

Owen’s credentials for this event are as relevant as anyone’s. Twelve months ago he came through this very qualifier, earned his spot at Ally Pally, and then delivered a superb run to the last 16 — a campaign that ultimately saved his Tour Card.

The Welshman has failed to really kick on from that in 2026, but he stands out as one of the most realistic threats to book a return ticket to the sport’s biggest stage.

Hempel has already produced memorable World Championship moments in the past, but this year the pressure is dialled all the way up. Like de Sousa and others, his Tour Card is on the line — failure to qualify almost certainly means dropping off the circuit, unless he can rescue himself at Q-School in early 2026.

The German thrower has the scoring power and resilience to trouble anyone, but he must produce it on a day where every match is effectively knockout darts.

A place at the World Championship is more than a ticket to the biggest tournament of the year — it is a career-shaping opportunity. For many mid-table Tour Card holders, reaching Ally Pally can secure crucial prize money, ranking protection and even new sponsorship. For the established names, it is about avoiding the disappointment of watching December from home.

With only five places on offer and a field stacked with former world champions, TV performers and rising internationals, the margins will be razor thin. One missed double or one poor leg could be the difference between a season rescued and a season forgotten.

Rob Owen (Wales)

Florian Hempel (Germany)

Stephen Burton (Englad)

Dylan Slevin (Ireland)

Jim Williams (Wales)

Jose de Sousa (Portugal)

Rhys Griffin (Wales)

Berry van Peer (Netherlands)

Adam Hunt (England)

Patrick Geeraets (Netherlands)

Robert Grundy (England)

Nathan Rafferty (Northern Ireland)

Jitse Van der Wal (Netherlands)

Radek Szaganski (Poland)

Jelle Klaasen (Netherlands)

Martijn Dragt (Netherlands)

Danny Lauby (USA)

Haupai Puha (New Zealand)

William Borland (Scotland)

Benjamin Reus (Denmark)

Brett Claydon (England)

George Killington (England

Maik Kuivenhoven (Netherlands)

Andy Boulton (Scotland)

Darryl Pilgrim (England)

Michele Turetta (Italy)

Tom Bissell (England)

Christian Kist (Netherlands)

Leon Weber (Germany)

Dennie Olde Kalter (Netherlands)

Joshua Richardson (England)

Jim Long (Canada)

Thomas Lovely (England)

Marvin van Velzen (Netherlands)

Viktor Tingstrom (Sweden)

Adam Warner (England)

Greg Ritchie (Scotland)

Adam Paxton (England)

Maximilian Czerwinski (Germany)

Tavis Dudeney (England)

Tytus Kanik (Poland)

Stefaan Henderyck (Belgium)

Tim Wolters (Germany)

Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (Austria)

Pero Ljubic (Croatia)

Kai Gotthardt (Germany)

Jules van Dongen (USA)