"When you apply that pressure, he just raises that level"– Is there anyone who can stop Luke Littler from winning his first World Masters title?

The darts world has barely had time to catch its breath after the World Championship before the next major event is already upon us. On the PDC’s The Dart Show, host Will Simpson reflected on a historic Worlds with analysts Chris Mason and Dan Dawson, looked ahead to the Winmau World Masters and, above all, debated whether anyone can halt Luke Littler’s remarkable surge.

As ever, the PDC World Darts Championship was quickly labelled “the best ever”, but this time there was a clear reason. For the first time, the field was expanded to 128 players – a move that initially raised concerns.

“I was a little bit worried it was going to be diluted,” Mason admitted. “But all it created was drama and great stories and, yeah, some incredible darts.”

The expanded format delivered upsets, intensity and narrative throughout the tournament, even if the final itself did not quite live up to the drama that preceded it.

“It was all rounded off by a slightly disappointing final,” Mason said, “but that was more to do with Luke Littler, who was just outstanding from start to finish.”

Littler’s dominance left little room for doubt about the outcome. “He was a worthy champion,” Mason added, “and someone who’s done something that only three other players have done.”

The scale of Littler’s achievement only adds to the intrigue around his future. “He’s on for the three-peat, isn’t he?” Mason said. “He would join the likes of Phil Taylor and Eric Bristow, who did it in 1984, 1985 and 1986. He would be in some special company, and who’s to say that he can’t do that?”

What makes it all the more extraordinary is his age. “He could win it three times on the spin and still be a teenager,” Mason said. “It is remarkable – the temperament of the young man and the way he goes about his business is inspirational, genuinely inspirational.”

That darts never stands still was underlined by Dawson’s recent trip to Q School in Milton Keynes.

“Exciting, emotional, surprising – all that sort of stuff,” Dawson said. “Cristo Reyes making his way back onto the tour after half a decade away, so yeah, all brilliant.”

Attention quickly turned to the Winmau World Masters, which begins on Thursday, January 29. Revived by the PDC last year, the tournament is built around the classic World Masters format first introduced in 1973.

“When the original World Masters, which started all the way back in ’73, was dropped by the WDF, it was ideal for us to reincarnate it,” Mason explained. “We did that last year and it went down a storm.”

The format is unforgiving: best of three legs, best of five sets. According to Mason, comfort is an illusion.

“You never feel like you’re in front,” he said. “You’re one break away from levelling things up. Whether it’s you in front or you behind, you’re always under pressure.”

Speaking from experience, he added: “I lost in the semi-finals of it in 1999 or 2000 and was miles in front, but you never feel like you’re in front.”

Following the draw, several standout ties immediately caught the eye, not least Michael van Gerwen against Damon Heta. Van Gerwen has made a strong start to the year on the World Series, but Mason stressed how significant the season ahead could be.

“I think he’s got over 70% of his prize money to defend in 2026,” Mason said. “Or he’s going to find himself down the rankings with the likes of Peter Wright.”

Heta, meanwhile, arrives after a difficult period. “He’s probably having his toughest period in PDC darts over the last few months,” Dawson said. “But if he comes back refreshed and rejuvenated and the player that he has been for all the rest of his time in PDC darts, a guy who wins more games than pretty much anybody… I really want to see a big year from Damon Heta.”

Dave Chisnall’s opening match against Luke Humphries was also highlighted.

“He could have done with a slightly easier opening game,” Mason said. “Luke Humphries will be looking to prove a point in 2026 – I can assure you of that.”

When it came to potential first-round casualties, Dawson did not hesitate to flag one danger tie.

“Dobey’s the one,” he said. “I think Wattimena is the nightmare draw for anybody who’s a seed.”

Stephen Bunting was another name discussed, with Dawson keen to underline how strong his overall year had been.

“People overlook this,” he said. “He won six titles, number one on the World Series, number two in Europe, up there on the ProTour. The TV stuff didn’t go as well as he wanted.”

Mason, however, warned of the psychological pressure.

“You can tell with the reaction to some of the things he’s done and said in interviews,” he said. “He takes it quite personally. If he goes out there wanting to prove a point, sometimes that can be counterproductive and backfire on him.”

Among the outsiders, Rob Cross was singled out as a genuine wildcard.

“His form’s a worry,” Mason said. “But we know that Rob Cross, when he’s playing well, can win anything," added Dawson.

Cross faces a demanding year ahead, including Euro Tour qualifiers, and Mason believes a lack of match play has hurt him.

“I think his problem is he’s not playing enough,” he said. “I think he has too much downtime.”

James Wade, Gary Anderson and Nathan Aspinall were also cited as players capable of going deep in such an unforgiving format.

Inevitably, the conversation returned to Littler. The World Masters remains one of the few major titles missing from his collection.

“I know that there are people throwing their hands up going, darts is broken and nobody’s ever going to win anything ever again because Luke Littler’s going to win everything,” Dawson said. “I don’t believe it.”

He pointed to history for perspective. “Even in the height of Van Gerwen’s pomp and Taylor’s pomp, there were still some titles that were not won by them.”

What sets Littler apart, Mason explained, is how he responds when challenged.

“When you apply that pressure on Littler, rather than you sort of meet in the middle somewhere, he just raises that level,” he said. “It all comes down to the temperament, which he shouldn’t have. He’s a teenager. But some people are just made to do this.”

Dawson referenced the World Championship final against Gian van Veen as a clear example.

“Gian had a chance to go 2–0 up in that,” Dawson said. “If he does that, is that game different? Against Littler, you’ve got to take those chances, and you’ve got to keep on doing it right to the end.”

In a format as brutal as the World Masters, opportunities may arise – but as both analysts made clear, missing them against Littler is rarely forgiven.