“I don’t have the talent to go all the way” – France’s lone World Championship hope embraces reality at Ally Pally

As Thibault Tricole prepares to step onto the Alexandra Palace stage on Thursday 18 December, the stakes extend far beyond his opening match at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship. At 36, the Frenchman is once again carrying not only his own ambitions, but also the growing hopes of a country beginning to engage seriously with the sport.

Speaking earlier this week from Brittany, where he had deliberately remained until the final days before his match, Tricole sounded relaxed and confident.

“I feel very good,” he said in an interview with Flashscore. “The event kicked off on December 11th, and I play on the 18th, so I’m still in Brittany, tucked away in the countryside. But I’m heading off to London tomorrow afternoon.”

That late departure was a conscious choice rather than a risk. “Getting to London is really straightforward. I leave from Nantes, and I’m there in an hour, so leaving two days before is enough. Not the day before, as that’s a bit tight. You never know what might happen with travel. And I’m used to going to England, I probably go 15 times a year, so it’s a journey I know well.”

Twelve months ago, Tricole opened the World Championship on the very first night. This time, his name appears almost at the end of the first round schedule.

“Yes, it’s a bit different,” he says with a laugh. “This year, it’s almost the opposite – I play my first match right at the end of the first round, which lasts a week. So, is it better? I don’t really know, to be honest, but I have already seen a few upsets. It’s a reminder that I need to be careful, that this first round could be a bit of a banana skin for me.”

Watching from the sidelines has had its benefits. “Watching the others battle it out also helps me mentally prepare for what’s coming. The World Championship is special. It’s the one that puts the most pressure on every player.”

That pressure was something he felt acutely last year, when victory over Joe Comito was followed just hours later by a meeting with Luke Humphries.

“Last year, I played an Australian in the first round, whom I beat, and then I had to face the world number one and reigning World Champion just a few hours later, knowing that the World Championship is the biggest event of the year,” Tricole recalls. “I really struggled to play two matches back to back. It was too much for me, right from the first night.”

This time, the circumstances are different. “I’ve got another year’s experience on the pro circuit now, so I’m going in with a bit more calm. And it’s true, the draw is more favourable, but you never really know in advance. It would be too easy if the favourite always won.”

The early elimination of Ross Smith, a possible second round opponent, has opened the draw further, but Tricole is quick to temper expectations.

“If he’s out, it means the player who beat him was good too. I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” he says. “I’m not saying it’s my year because I don’t have the talent to go all the way, but the draw is definitely more open than what I had last year, or even the year before.”

He is acutely aware of how status can alter mindset. “I often have this issue where I tend to play better against higher ranked players than against outsiders. I put too much pressure on myself when I’m the favourite, so that’s something I need to work on. I have to accept my role, my status.”

That mental battle is central to surviving at Alexandra Palace. “It’s the classic footballer’s line – take it one match at a time – but it’s true. Because it’s so mental that if you start thinking you’ve won before you’ve even played, you’re setting yourself up for a fall.”

Beyond progress in the tournament itself, the first round carries practical consequences. “It would be really good for me to win this first match, because it would guarantee my place on the circuit next year,” Tricole explains. “I’m currently ranked 61st, so I should be safe, but I still need to win this first match to be sure. You never know, it could all come down to circumstances.”

Added to that is the weight of expectation back home. “I’m still the only French participant. There’s real excitement, there’s genuine interest in France now. It was already a huge hit in terms of viewing figures last year, so yes, there’s pressure, but it’s a good kind of pressure.”

Standing between Tricole and that crucial first win is Motomu Sakai, a Japanese qualifier with little European exposure.

“He’s a Japanese player who only competes in Asia,” Tricole says. “I struggled to find much information about him, especially about his playing rhythm. It’s important to know how fast he plays, whether I’ll need to adapt.”

That lack of information makes preparation difficult. “I did find a few YouTube videos, but there’s very little info, which is why it could be a tricky match. He’s unranked, so he’s not playing for ranking points or his pro survival, he’s got nothing to lose.”

The stage itself can be decisive. “It’s his first time, so he’ll be discovering it all, but that could work in my favour. When you first walk into that arena, the atmosphere is electric. It’s always a bit tricky.”

Despite the unknowns, Tricole arrives in London after the strongest season of his career.

“That’s the difference between this year and last,” he says. “For the first time, I managed to put in solid performances against some really top players, even iconic ones like Michael Smith or Stephen Bunting.”

One moment stands out. “In Budapest, not long ago, I played in front of 6,000 or 7,000 spectators, even more than at the Worlds. I proved to myself that I could be comfortable on stage, something I hadn’t managed in previous years.”

That experience matters now. “This will be my third time. I know the venue, I know how the pre and post match routines work, and there are no more surprises. But I’ll still need to be focused on the day and at the moment of the match.”

Away from the oche, Tricole increasingly recognises his role within French darts.

“There are two or three players like Nicolas Thuillier or Lylian Le Calvez who want to follow in my footsteps,” he says. “They’re on the right track, but I don’t see them making it straight away. Everyone develops at their own pace. I know it took me a while to break through.”

He accepts the label of ambassador. “People say I’m a bit of a flag bearer. I waited so long for darts to get some recognition in France, so I’m really pleased. But we’re still at the very beginning. Compared to Germany or Belgium, we’re at least 10 or 15 years behind.”

Visibility remains key. “Only the real enthusiasts subscribe to PDC TV, but we do have La Chaîne L’Équipe broadcasting some major tournaments. That would have been unthinkable two or three years ago. It’s a really positive step.”

And with visibility comes responsibility. “Yes, but it’s a good kind of pressure,” Tricole says. “For more than 15 years, I’ve heard, ‘France needs a player who can perform internationally.’ Look at what Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen did in the Netherlands. Without them, nothing would have happened.”

He remains grounded. “I don’t have their talent, but I do have resilience. At 36, I still believe I can achieve things. If I can perform regularly and pull off some big results, people will talk more about darts in France, and that’s already a win.”

A deep run at the World Championship would accelerate that momentum. “That would be the ultimate dream,” he says. “On paper, there’s definitely a chance. I won’t think about it too much when I’m playing, but it’s on my mind. Of course, a good run would be fantastic.”

On Thursday night, Tricole steps back onto the sport’s most famous stage, aware that every dart carries weight far beyond the scoreboard.