"On our day, we can beat players like Luke Littler and Luke Humphries" - Noppert & Van Veen confident ahead of 2025 World Cup of Darts

Danny Noppert and Gian van Veen will represent the Netherlands at the 2025 World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt this week, with Van Veen making his debut at the prestigious pairs tournament.

The 26-year-old earned his spot after three-time World Champion Michael van Gerwen opted out of the event. Currently ranked third among Dutch players on the PDC Order of Merit, Van Veen was next in line — and he didn’t hesitate to seize the opportunity.

“I saw it as a really special chance,” Van Veen told Brabants Dagblad. “Danny and I always sit at the same table during the floor events—we get on well, and we’ve trained together too. So it’s brilliant that we now get to team up for our country.”
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Noppert, a World Cup veteran with four previous appearances under his belt, echoed Van Veen’s enthusiasm and highlighted the strong chemistry between the pair. “Gian and I have played together before, so this isn’t new for us,” said Noppert. “We often pair up during floor tournaments. When we do, we’re always competitive—really up for it, haha.”

Despite Van Veen being new to the World Cup stage, Noppert believes his younger compatriot is more than ready. “Has he asked for advice? No, and he doesn’t need to,” said the Dutch number two. “He’s picked up plenty of experience in the last few years. He’s in top form too, so I’ve got full confidence in him.”

The Netherlands narrowly missed out on a top-four seeding, meaning they’ll begin their campaign in the group stage under the tournament’s revised format. That adds early pressure — but also potential benefits. “There’s pressure on us straight away, so we’ve got to be switched on from the first dart,” said Noppert. “But that’s what makes it exciting. Facing countries like Italy and Hungary adds something different as well.”

Van Veen sees the group stage as a potential springboard. “It only becomes an advantage if you get through the group,” he pointed out. “But if we do, we’ll have a couple of matches under our belts while the seeded teams are just getting started. That could help.”

The Dutch side has fallen at the second-round stage in the past two editions, but there’s a quiet belief they can go much further this year. “What’s a realistic goal? Reaching the semi-finals,” said Van Veen. “Obviously, we want to win it — that’s always the aim. And on our day, we can beat players like Luke Littler and Luke Humphries.”

Noppert added: “Let’s focus on getting through the group first — then we’ll see where it takes us.”