Preview fourth quarter at 2025 PDC World Darts Championship including Van Gerwen, Anderson and Van den Bergh

The festive season is just around the corner, and with it comes the moment all darts fans have been waiting for: the PDC World Darts Championship. Starting on December 15th and running until January 3rd, the countdown is almost over, and darts fans can look forward to what promises to be the most thrilling three weeks of the year.

Yep, we’ve got a month of mince pies, roast turkey, and more importantly darts, ahead of us, and it’s set to be another great year at Alexandra Palace, which has been the tournament’s home since 2008. Last year, Luke Humphries solidified his reputation as the best darts player on the planet, claiming his first World Championship title. "Cool Hand" has had an extraordinary year since, capturing several more major trophies, however, it was the remarkable debut of 16-year-old Luke Littler that truly captured the hearts of fans during the 2024 event. Virtually unknown before the competition, "The Nuke" emerged as a breakout star and has since become one of Britain’s most recognisable young athletes, and he was recently nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year. At just 17, last month’s Grand Slam of Darts winner now has the chance to go one step further and claim his maiden world title, and what a story that would be.

With the draw revealed two weeks ago, we’re now less than a week away from the first dart being thrown. The tournament features a field of 96 players in a knockout format, with qualifiers from regional tours and events battling it out in the preliminary round, while the top 32 players from the PDC Order of Merit begin their campaigns in the second round. Matches gradually increase in length as the competition progresses, culminating in a best-of-13 sets final that will crown the champion.

The stakes couldn’t be higher, with a total prize pool of £2,500,000 up for grabs. The winner will walk away with a life-changing £500,000, while even those who bow out in the second round will pocket £15,000. With so much at stake, let’s dive into the bottom quarter of the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship and take a closer look at who gets their tournament underway in this section.

Michael van Gerwen enters the tournament as the third seed, a position that does nothing to tell the story of his strange 2024 season. The three-time world champion and 47-time PDC major title winner has struggled for form, raising questions about whether he can still find the magic on the biggest stage.

Van Gerwen’s 2024 campaign has been marked by early exits and poor performances. At the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton last month, he suffered a shocking first-round loss, and he also crashed out in the opening round of the World Grand Prix, leaving fans questioning whether his days as the king of the sport were done for good. His best performance of the year came at the World Matchplay, where he reached the final but was edged out 18-15 by Luke Humphries in a gripping contest, but that was a rare bright spot in the last 12 months for MvG.

This will be the first time in over a decade that van Gerwen heads to Alexandra Palace not amongst the favourites, and the Dutchman is now more of an outsider for the title. Still, writing off MvG would be foolish. Few can match his resume, and he could flip the form book in a matter of moments and be right back to the man we’ve come to expect.

Van Gerwen’s campaign begins on December 20th against either James Hurrell or Jim Long, who will face off in the first round. Hurrell, who qualified via the Pro Tour ranking, and North American qualifier Long are both solid players but Van Gerwen will be expected to make light work of whoever he faces.

Gary Anderson enters the World Championship with renewed confidence after a resurgent 2024 season, where he’s looked close to his very best. The two-time world champion, who lifted the trophy in 2015 and 2016, has shown glimpses of his old form this year, and he was truly superb at last months Grand Slam of Darts.

Anderson’s semi-final clash with Luke Littler at the Grand Slam was nothing short of epic, and it may as well have been the final. Despite ultimately losing to the young sensation in the final leg, the match reminded fans why Anderson remains one of the sport’s greats, and on his day he can beat absolutely anyone. But will he continue the form into the World Championships?

At 53, Anderson has not won a major title since his 2018 World Matchplay triumph, but his recent performances suggest he could be a dark horse at Alexandra Palace, and his second-round opponent will be either Jeffrey de Graaf or Rashad Sweeting.

De Graaf, a familiar face at the World Championship, reached the last 32 last year before falling to Rob Cross at that stage. Meanwhile, Sweeting is making history as the first player from the Bahamas to compete at the tournament having secured his spot through the Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean Order of Merit. Sweeting will be looking to make a statement on his debut, and he’d love to take on Anderson in the second round.

Dave Chisnall, the sixth seed, has long been regarded as one of the best players never to have won a major title. The 44-year-old’s ability is unquestionable, but he has yet to convert that into a breakthrough victory on the biggest stage, and it’s becoming more and more of a mental block.

Chisnall’s recent World Championship performances have been solid, with a semi-final appearance in 2021 and a quarter-final run last year, where he was eliminated by eventual champion Luke Humphries. No, he won’t be one of the favourites, but most darts fans would love to see him make another solid run. Could 2025 finally be his year to lift a major trophy?

He will face the winner of Ricky Evans and Gordon Mathers in the second round, both opponents Chisnall will be expected to beat. Evans, known for his rapid playing style, has reached the third round three times before, but was knocked out in the second round last year. Mathers, an Australian qualifier, has struggled to make an impact in his previous three World Championship appearances, never progressing beyond the first round.

Dimitri Van den Bergh comes into the tournament on the back of a strong 2024 season, which included a very impressive victory at the UK Open back in March, where he defeated world number 1 Luke Humphries. The Belgian, who is the 12th seed, is a former semi-finalist at the World Championship, having reached the last four in 2023 before losing 6-0 to Michael van Gerwen, and he’ll be hoping to go one better at Alexandra Palace this year.

Van den Bergh’s second-round opponent will be either William O’Connor or Dylan Slevin, both of whom hail from Ireland. O’Connor, from Limerick, has twice reached the third round and was eliminated in the second round last year by Chris Dobey. Slevin, returning to the World Championship for the second time, earned his spot through the Tour Card Holder qualifier and will be aiming to make a deeper run this year.

Michael van Gerwen (3) vs James Hurrell or Jim Long

Brendan Dolan (30) vs Chris Landman or Lok Yin Lee

Gary Anderson (14) vs Jeffrey de Graaf or Rashad Sweeting

Ross Smith (19) vs Jim Williams or Paolo Nebrida

Dave Chisnall (6) vs Ricky Evans or Gordon Mathers

Gabriel Clemens (27) vs Niels Zonneveld or Robert Owen

Dimitri Van den Bergh (11) vs William O'Connor or Dylan Slevin

Martin Schindler (22) vs Callan Rydz or Romeo Grbavac