Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler headline World Series of Darts Finals field, qualification criteria announced for Amsterdam season ender
PDCMonday, 20 July 2026 at 15:00
The PDC has announced the qualification criteria for the 2026 World Series of Darts Finals. From September 17 to 20, 32 players will battle for the prestigious title at AFAS Live in Amsterdam. Defending champion Michael van Gerwen and world champion Luke Littler will once again be among the tournament’s marquee attractions.
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Van Gerwen heads to Amsterdam this year as the reigning champion and currently tops the World Series standings. The Dutchman owes that lead to his victories at the Bahrain Darts Masters and the Nordic Darts Masters in Copenhagen earlier this year. That puts “Mighty Mike” in an excellent position to qualify for his home event via the World Series rankings.
Luke Littler will also return to the Dutch capital. The world champion won the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters earlier this season and likewise sits high on the World Series standings. In addition, world number two Luke Humphries will be in the field. Humphries successfully defended his title at the US Darts Masters in New York at the end of June, securing a prominent position heading into the World Series of Darts Finals.
In total, the top 24 players on the final World Series standings will qualify for the tournament in Amsterdam. If players are tied on points, the PDC Order of Merit will be used as the first tiebreaker. If that is also level, the number of legs won during the World Series, and then the average across all 2026 World Series matches, will decide.
The field will then be completed by the four highest-ranked players on the PDC Order of Merit who have not yet qualified via the World Series standings. The table as of August 23 is decisive. The final four places will be awarded at the Tour Card Holder Qualifier, which will be played on August 24.
Qualification Criteria
| Qualification Route | Places |
| Top players from the final World Series Rankings | 24 |
| Top non-qualified players from the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder (as of August 23) | 4 |
| Tour Card Holder Qualifiers (August 24) | 4 |
| Total | 32 |
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The tournament starts on Thursday, September 17 and Friday, September 18 with the first round, split across two evening sessions. On Saturday, September 19, the second round will be played during an afternoon and an evening session.
The World Series of Darts Finals conclude on Sunday, September 20 with a full finals day. The quarterfinals take place in the afternoon, followed by the semifinals and final in the evening session. That means AFAS Live will once again showcase the absolute elite of darts for four days, with Michael van Gerwen as defending champion and Luke Littler as one of the chief challengers.
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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- Sophie is an excellent player and an exciting talent. I would have thought such a talented player would certainly be ranked higher than 17. It will be great to see her back at Lakeside and hopefully becoming champion.richieburnettrocks21-07-2026
- How many times can fatty Bunting say listen, listen, listen....... I definitely don't want to see him for another 10 years, although looking at him, I don't think we will...you know what I mean.richieburnettrocks19-07-2026
- Don't worry Vinman, England will not be in the final.richieburnettrocks16-07-2026
- Ultimately, Vin man knew when to call it quits. Barney was excellent and one of the greatest darts player ever, but he just doesn't have that ability anymore. Vinman working in media is only saying what he thinks and I like how he doesn't sugar coat things and is completely honest and direct with his comments. Vinman will probably agree he wasn't really on the same level as Barney in their respective heydays.richieburnettrocks13-07-2026
- I agree that this season the format was a bit stale, it would be better to have some new faces rotated in through the season. I also think they should vary the format a bit as it doesn't count for rankings, they could have different varieties of 501 (e.g. double start) or just different challenges.mikedarts03-07-2026
- I don't really understand why its an issue that Littler doesn't play in the events, they are barely televised so there is no draw for marketing and it gives the other players a better chance to define their narratives. The events are more of a throw back to old events. I agree that the format should be looked at, I don't know why they don't do a more interesting format or vary it through the season to improve interestmikedarts03-07-2026
- This shows they have the prize money structure wrong then (and OoM as a result). Put more £ into the floor, less on the TV and you'll attract more players to attend more often.BandB03-07-2026
- He's admitted his mistakes. He won't be the first or last player to get sent down,or take drugs. I honestly didn't like the lad,but at least he's owning up to his issues. So,good luck. In whatever he decides to dorick6702-07-2026
- Not everyone wants to watch pub players throwing 70 averages for about £500. Premier League is indeed a cash cow, but it does its job of promoting the game. This new suggestion for changes is one of the better ones. Even better if everyone knew what they had to do to qualify and it isn't just a walk-on popularity contest.StraightArrowNoBull01-07-2026
- I have a suggestion,scrap the whole thing. It's a pointless cash cow for anyone in the top 10.rick6730-06-2026
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