One World Championship spot, a host of familiar names including De Zwaan, Van de Pas and Baetens: Who will survive the Den Bosch showdown?

The World Darts Championship gets underway at Alexandra Palace on 11 December. Most of the field is now confirmed, but a few places are still up for grabs.

One of those places is reserved for Belgium and the Netherlands, where players will compete in a qualifying tournament in Den Bosch this Saturday for a coveted spot at the world’s biggest darts event. We look at the leading contenders and assess who is best placed to claim that prized World Championship ticket on Saturday.

Seven of the 22 Dutch PDC Tour Card holders active in 2026 have yet to secure a place at the World Darts Championship. All seven will head to Den Bosch this Saturday, where they will bid for that coveted ticket to the world’s biggest darts event. The biggest name in the field is undoubtedly Jeffrey de Zwaan.

The 30-year-old from Rijswijk regained his PDC Tour Card earlier this year and began another attempt to re-establish himself among the world’s best. A direct World Championship place ultimately proved just out of reach. De Zwaan did not earn enough prize money through the world rankings or the Pro Tour Order of Merit. Yet he came remarkably close. He finished 42nd on the latter ranking, just £250 behind 40th-placed Henry Coates. In other words, a slightly better result at one of his Players Championship events might have been enough to secure a place at the World Championship.

The Den Bosch qualifier therefore offers De Zwaan an excellent chance to give his season a strong finish. ‘The Black Cobra’ has also shown in the past that he can thrive on the biggest stage. In 2020, he reached the last 16 of the World Darts Championship. He came close to reaching the quarter-finals, but lost a thrilling 4-3 match to Peter Wright, who went on to win the title that year.

De Zwaan certainly has the natural ability to win on Saturday. On his best days, he can compete with the world’s elite and poses a threat to any opponent. The problem is that he has not produced consistent results often enough in recent years. The question is not so much whether he has the level to win the qualifier, but whether he can produce his best darts throughout a full day. If he does, he will undoubtedly be among the leading contenders for the final World Championship place.

The other six Dutch Tour Card holders competing in Den Bosch on Saturday have different priorities. Chris Landman, Sietse Lap and Jeffrey Sparidaans will feel less pressure. They are in their first year as PDC Tour Card holders, so they do not need to qualify for the World Championship at all costs to secure their Pro Tour futures. Still, taking part in the world’s biggest darts event would be a welcome bonus for all three.

Of the trio, Chris Landman is the only one with previous experience at the PDC World Championship. The Dutchman has already played at Alexandra Palace and knows what to expect. Jeffrey Sparidaans has also competed at a World Championship, though on the WDF circuit. For Sietse Lap, qualifying would mean a first taste of the biggest stage in darts.

The stakes are somewhat different for Wesley Plaisier, Dennie Olde Kalter and Marvin van Velzen. All three are currently outside the world’s top 64, leaving them with just one chance to secure their PDC Tour Cards for next season: a strong performance at the World Darts Championship. The Den Bosch qualifier is therefore particularly important for them.

Of the three, Plaisier is in the strongest position. He finished 41st on the Pro Tour Order of Merit, narrowly missing out on a direct World Championship place. He currently sits 68th in the provisional world rankings. Qualifying for Alexandra Palace and then winning one match at the World Championship could already be enough to retain his Tour Card.

Van Velzen and Olde Kalter face a much tougher task. Van Velzen is 99th in the provisional world rankings, while Olde Kalter is down in 111th. For both players, simply qualifying for the World Championship may not be enough to save their Tour Cards. They will need to go a long way at Alexandra Palace to remain in contention to keep them.

A World Championship place would therefore be a major confidence boost for the pair ahead of Q-School early next year. There, they will have another chance to win a PDC Tour Card.

Although no Belgian PDC Tour Card holders will be at the oche in Den Bosch this Saturday, Belgium will still be well represented. Dimitri Van den Bergh and Stefaan Henderyck, the only two Belgian Tour Card holders who failed to qualify directly for the World Championship, will be absent. However, no fewer than 14 Belgian players are crossing the border to pursue a place at the sport’s biggest event.

The biggest name among the Belgian entrants is, of course, Andy Baetens. The former PDC Tour Card holder knows better than most what it takes to secure a World Championship spot through this qualifying event. Last year, he came out on top in the qualifier for Belgian and Dutch players, earning a place at the World Darts Championship in Alexandra Palace for his debut.

That debut immediately produced a thrilling contest. Baetens faced Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode in the first round. The Belgian put up a superb fight and made it a real spectacle, but ultimately lost 3–2 in sets. Despite his exit, he showed that he can hold his own on the sport’s biggest stage.

That should come as no surprise. Baetens was crowned WDF world champion in 2023 and has more than proved his ability to deliver on the biggest occasions. His recent results also offer reason for optimism. At the MODUS Super Series Champions Week, ‘The Beast from the East’ recently reached the final, where he narrowly lost a thrilling match to 16-year-old Englishman Archie Self.

Baetens is in excellent form and also has plenty of experience on major stages. That makes him one of the leading contenders to win the Belgian and Dutch qualifier again on Saturday.

Andy Baetens is not the only familiar name among the Belgian entrants. Brian Raman will also be competing, even though ‘The Riddler’ has already secured a place at the WDF World Championship, which begins at Lakeside later this month. The former WDF world number one is also eager to shine on the PDC stage, so he is making another bid for a World Championship spot.

Raman has been in excellent form in recent months. This summer, the 30-year-old Belgian reached the final of the WDF World Masters, showing that he can still compete at a high level. The former WDF world number one has the quality to take on the best players. On his day, he can beat almost anyone. A World Championship spot would be a fitting reward for his recent performances.

Alongside Baetens and Raman, two other Belgian entrants have World Championship experience: Kenny Neyens and Sybren Gijbels. Neyens, known as ‘The Believer’, appeared at the PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace in 2018. His run ended in the first round, where he faced Welshman Jamie Lewis and lost 2–1 after a three-set match.

Sybren Gijbels’s most recent World Championship experience is still fresh in the memory. At the WDF World Championship at Lakeside late last year, he impressed by reaching the semi-finals. There, eventual world champion Jimmy van Schie proved too strong. Gijbels narrowly missed out on a place in the final, but his run showed he can compete on a major stage.

For both Neyens and Gijbels, another World Championship appearance would be a significant achievement. Alongside Baetens and Raman, they ensure that several Belgian players with international experience will be in action in Den Bosch.

One of the most intriguing entrants in the qualifier is undoubtedly Benito van de Pas. The 33-year-old from Tilburg last played at the World Darts Championship in 2020 and hopes to return to Alexandra Palace seven years later. Although he has slipped from the public eye in recent years, ‘Big Ben’ still has the quality to compete at a high level.

Van de Pas has already enjoyed some memorable moments this year. He won a MODUS Super Series event, showing that he is far from finished. Buoyed by that result, the Dutchman heads to Den Bosch with another chance to prove himself on the biggest stage.

Van de Pas can also draw on plenty of experience at the PDC World Darts Championship. In his best years, he was a regular on the Pro Tour and also appeared on television frequently. He reached the last 16 at Alexandra Palace three times, giving him a record many qualifiers can only dream of.

A return to the World Championship would therefore mean a great deal to Van de Pas. The Tilburg native has his sights set on more than simply competing at Alexandra Palace. Early next year, he will head to Q-School, hoping to regain a PDC Tour Card after six years away. Qualifying for the World Championship would be a fitting reward for his recent performances and a huge confidence boost ahead of that important event.

With his experience, past World Championship results and recent MODUS Super Series victory, Van de Pas is certainly one to watch on Saturday. If he hits his best form, he could make life very difficult for the other contenders.

Several other former PDC Tour Card holders are also among the qualifiers. One of the most notable names is Jan Dekker. The Dutchman reached the BDO World Championship semi-finals twice in his career and played on the PDC Pro Tour from 2015 to 2020. Like Benito van de Pas, however, Dekker has faded from view in recent years. Unlike his compatriot, he has not competed in the MODUS Super Series either. It is therefore difficult to gauge his current form and how far he might go on Saturday.

Martijn Kleermaker is in a similar position. In 2023, he decided to give up his PDC Tour Card voluntarily for personal reasons. Since then, he has competed only occasionally in tournaments in his home country. Kleermaker does, however, have a strong record on the international stage. He reached the last 16 of the PDC World Championship in 2021, so he knows what it takes to perform at the highest level. Like Dekker, he can draw on valuable experience on Saturday, which could prove important on a day when so much is at stake.

Dekker and Kleermaker are among several other former Tour Card holders taking their chance in Den Bosch. Martijn Dragt, Patrick Geeraets, Jerry Hendriks, Jimmy Hendriks, Vincent Kamphuis, Ron Meulenkamp, Berry van Peer and Danny van Trijp are also on the entry list. They are all players who have experienced the professional circuit and know what is expected of them on a big stage.

The qualifier offers them an excellent opportunity to step back into the spotlight. A place at the World Championship would be a welcome sporting boost and a chance to show themselves to a wider audience again.

Predicting the outcome of a qualifier in which only one player will earn a World Championship place is, of course, extremely difficult. Many contenders have the ability to spring a surprise. If we had to pick an outsider, Heine Uuldriks could be an intriguing choice.

Until recently, Uuldriks was a relatively unknown name to the wider public, but that changed not long ago. At the Dutch Darts Championship, he qualified for the main draw through the Host Nation Qualifier. He made an immediate impact, upsetting German player Ricardo Pietreczko in a thrilling opening-round match. That earned him a place in the second round, where Brendan Dolan proved too strong, winning 6-4.

Despite the defeat, Uuldriks had made a strong impression. His fine display on the European Tour did not go unnoticed, and last week he had another chance to showcase his game to a wider audience at the ADC Global Championship. The Dutchman again showed his quality. After a particularly tense match, he lost 5-4 to the formidable Croatian Boris Krcmar in the second round.

Uuldriks also has a distinctive story. He works as a personal trainer and was previously an amateur footballer. In recent times, however, darts has taken an increasingly prominent place in his life. His recent performances show that he can post high averages and make life difficult for experienced opponents.

Buoyed by his results in recent weeks, Uuldriks will head to Den Bosch with plenty of ambition. He may not yet have extensive experience at the very highest level, but his recent form shows he can match many more established names. If he reproduces the level he has shown in recent weeks, he could be a very tough opponent on Saturday. A World Championship place could also mark the Dutchman’s breakthrough with the wider public.