PREVIEW: Frankfurt awaits an upset: these outsiders are ready to strike at the World Cup of Darts

At the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt, the World Cup of Darts gets underway tonight. Northern Ireland enters this national team event as the defending champion, after edging Wales 10-9 in last year’s final. Northern Ireland is again among the top favorites for the title this year, but there are serious challengers waiting in the wings.

In earlier articles we already discussed the chances of the Netherlands, Wales, Belgium, and Germany. Along with England, Scotland, and defending champion Northern Ireland, these nations are the leading contenders for the title at the World Cup of Darts 2026.

There are of course several dark horses as well. We start with Poland, represented by Krzysztof Ratajski and Sebastian Bialecki. Experience paired with youth, so to speak. For Ratajski this will already be his thirteenth appearance at the World Cup of Darts. Poland has never progressed beyond the second round, so why label them as outsiders, you might ask? Because Ratajski has a very strong teammate this year in Bialecki. The 22-year-old Pole featured in 2022, also alongside Ratajski. Poland then lost in the second round to Belgium.

Bialecki has only improved since and recently won multiple titles on the Development Tour. He is in top form, and Ratajski has also been throwing well in recent months. Poland is drawn in a group with Portugal and Switzerland, which should normally pose no problem to reach the last 16. And rest assured, no other nation will be keen to face the Poles then.

Spain is another team to watch at this World Cup of Darts. For the first time since 2019, Cristo Reyes returns to the World Cup of Darts. The 38-year-old Spaniard slipped off the radar for a few years, but regained his PDC Tour Card at Q-School earlier this year. In recent months, Reyes has shown he is still a player to be reckoned with. In just a few months, he has climbed to 77th in the world rankings.

In the Spanish team, Reyes is joined by the experienced José Justicia. He may not hold a PDC Tour Card, but this will still be his fifth World Cup of Darts appearance. Justicia has shown in the past that he can hit high averages, though consistency sometimes eludes him. This Spanish pair should be capable of doing damage at the World Cup of Darts. They do not have an easy draw, with Croatia and Japan also in their group. If Spain gets through the group stage, the same applies as for Poland: they will have built rhythm and confidence and become a dangerous opponent for the top nations.

Placing Australia among the outsiders might raise eyebrows. After all, Australia won the World Cup of Darts in 2022 with Damon Heta and Simon Whitlock in the lineup. However, there is a seismic shift in the Australian team, as for the first time since the World Cup of Darts began in 2010, Simon Whitlock will not feature.

Heta is still present, but Whitlock’s spot is taken by newly minted PDC Tour Card holder Adam Leek. He claimed a PDC Tour Card at Q-School earlier this year for the first time in his career, but has since struggled to make an impact on the Pro Tour. Leek will therefore need to lean heavily on Heta if Australia are to go deep at this year’s World Cup of Darts. They are certainly not favorites, but they should be capable of getting out of their group, which also includes USA and Canada. Anything beyond that is a bonus for the Australian duo.

Another outsider is Singapore. The Asian nation has appeared at the World Cup of Darts every year since 2014, always with Paul Lim in the side. The living legend — now 72 years young — returns once again this year. Singapore has previously reached the quarterfinals and could spring another surprise this time.

Lim’s teammate for the second year running is Phuay Wei Tan. Lim is known for consistently averaging around 90, while little is known about his partner. It remains to be seen whether the experienced Lim can guide him through. In the group stage, Singapore faces a tough customer in Ireland and, to a lesser extent, Gibraltar, which was called up as a last-minute replacement for Uganda.

Our final outsider is another Asian nation, namely Hong Kong. Lok-Yin Lee and Man Lok Leung reached the quarterfinals last year in a major shock, where Wales ultimately proved too strong. Leung, in particular, has impressed in the past, having beaten Gian van Veen in the opening round of the World Championship two years ago.

Both players are best known for soft-tip, but they are ambitious about making their mark in steel-tip darts as well. Hong Kong has been drawn in a group with Belgium and Slovenia. The latter should not pose a problem for Hong Kong. The clash with Belgium could be decisive. Belgium boasts two former major winners in Mike De Decker and Dimitri Van den Bergh, yet the Belgians are not exactly brimming with confidence at the moment. That could open the door for Hong Kong, especially in the short group-stage format where matches are played to just four winning legs.