Preview Friday World Darts Championship 2026: Semi-Finals take centre stage including Van Veen-Anderson and Littler-Searle

And so, suddenly, only four men remain in the hunt for the world title at the 2026 World Darts Championship. On Friday evening we’ll find out which two players will meet in the final a day later.

It’s certainly a distinctive final four. The 18-year-old phenomenon Luke Littler will take on surprise package Ryan Searle. And the new Dutch darts sensation Gian van Veen will clash with darts legend Gary Anderson.
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Luke Littler has looked virtually untouchable at the World Championship so far. The defending champion has cruised through the early rounds with barely a visible effort and appears not to have needed to hit his absolute peak yet. Even so, the young Englishman faced serious resistance early in the tournament. In the opening round Darius Labanauskas put up a stern fight. The Lithuanian forced a deciding leg in two sets against Littler, but The Nuke was never truly in danger. With a controlled display and a 101.54 average, he wrapped up a 3-0 win in sets. Littler also had a slow start in the second round. Against David Davies, the first set went to the world champion by the narrowest of margins at 3-2. That proved to be the only moment of hesitation. He then took full control and closed out the match without further trouble, again by 3-0 in sets.

His third outing showed how far Littler has come in his development. Against Mensur Suljovic, known for his slowing tactics and strategic approach, the 18-year-old Englishman displayed striking maturity. He refused to be thrown off by the Austrian’s tempo and produced, statistically, his strongest World Championship performance so far. With a 107.09 average and ice-cold composure at the key moments, Littler won emphatically 4-0 and reinforced his status as the clear title favorite. The next round was considerably tougher. Rob Cross put him under heavy pressure, while the atmosphere at Alexandra Palace grew increasingly hostile with boos aimed at the young Englishman. Littler held firm in an intense clash and saw Cross miss a chance to level at 3-3. Moments later he struck with a spectacular leg to seal a 4-2 victory. Afterwards, Littler didn’t hold back toward the partisan crowd, a reaction that drew plenty of criticism on social media.

In the quarterfinals, the storm seemed to have passed. After some grumbling early on, the support quickly returned, helped by Littler’s display. Against Krzysztof Ratajski, who was celebrating his birthday, Littler again left no doubt. The world number one played a spotless match and sent the Pole packing with a heavy 5-0 defeat. He also landed his first maximum 170 checkout of the tournament, a moment that clearly went down well with the crowd. The performance reaffirmed that Littler appears to have this World Championship fully under control.

Ryan Searle is undoubtedly among the standout performers of this World Championship. Up to the quarterfinals, Heavy Metal hadn’t dropped a single set and steamrolled his opponents. Chris Landman, Brendan Dolan, Martin Schindler, and James Hurrell were all dispatched convincingly, sending the Englishman smoothly into the last eight.

The numbers underlined his dominance. In both the third and fourth rounds, Searle posted averages over 100. Only against Hurrell did he face some resistance in the opening set, which went to a deciding leg. From there he pulled away decisively. The second set went to Searle without dropping a leg, and the next two sets followed at 3-1. That booked him a maiden quarterfinal at the World Championship.

In that quarterfinal, Searle dropped his first set of the tournament, though the damage was limited. Jonny Clayton did manage to take a set, but by then he was already 3-0 down. Searle’s blistering early level didn’t last the full match, yet Clayton couldn’t seize the initiative or capitalize on his chances. Searle ultimately closed it out 5-2 to secure his first-ever World Championship semi-final berth.

Littler and Searle are set to meet for the sixth time in their careers. The early signs aren’t promising for Searle, as his young compatriot has won all five previous meetings, often by wide margins.

Gian van Veen’s World Darts Championship certainly didn’t start in cruise control. In the opening round he was immediately given a stern examination by Cristo Reyes. The experienced Spaniard refused to accept a bit part, nicked a set off Van Veen, and kept the pressure high throughout. The Dutchman, however, didn’t lose his composure, kept control at the crucial moments, and saw the match out. With a hard-fought yet deserved 3-1 win in sets and a 98.91 average, he took a solid first step in the tournament. In the following round Van Veen showed what he is truly capable of. Against Alan Soutar he was slow out of the blocks at first. The Scot took the opening set and even had the chance to extend his lead. When Soutar missed a set dart for 2-0, the match completely flipped. Van Veen raised the tempo, seized the initiative decisively, and stamped his authority on the contest. With a phenomenal 108.28 average, the highest of the tournament so far, he turned the deficit into a convincing 3-1 victory.

After the Christmas break, the next round was far less dramatic. Against Madars Razma, Van Veen produced a controlled, mature display in which he dictated proceedings from start to finish. He stayed calm on the doubles and offered the Latvian barely any foothold. The result was a clear 4-1 win in sets, without any real trouble. The last 16 then brought a clash with tournament surprise Charlie Manby. The young Englishman held his own well early on and deservedly levelled after two sets. Van Veen, however, found another gear. A strong third set, won with a 106.9 average, proved decisive. Manby couldn’t live with that pace, after which Van Veen tightened his grip on the match and powered through again with a commanding 4-1.

The quarterfinal served up a marquee tie against Luke Humphries, who by now might just be turning into Van Veen’s favorite opponent. The Dutchman had won all four meetings in 2025, and this showdown also went the way of ‘GVV The Giant’. Van Veen was certainly not the better player in the first three sets, but he handled his chances more efficiently and led 2-1 after three sets. Then he hit the turbo, and a frustrated Humphries was dumped out 5-1 in sets.

Gary Anderson has also had anything but a smooth ride through the early rounds at this World Championship. On paper, his opener against Adam Hunt looked favorable, but on stage the Scot did not get an easy night at all. Hunt played with freedom and at a high level, with both players averaging around 95. Only in a deciding set did Anderson’s experience tell as he wrested control. The Flying Scotsman was given no room to freewheel in round two either. Against Scutt he had to dig deep again. The Englishman kept the pressure on and came close to forcing a decider, but Anderson was just that bit steadier at the key moments and closed it out 3-1 in sets with a strong average north of 105.

In the third round against Jermaine Wattimena, the path to the next stage initially looked clear. Anderson moved 3-1 up in sets, but by missing multiple match darts he let the Dutchman back in. Wattimena fought superbly to 3-3, forcing extra time to settle it. There Anderson again showed his class and mental resilience, ultimately edging it 5-3.

The fourth round brought, on paper, his toughest test, with Michael van Gerwen as the opponent. In practice the match played out differently. Van Gerwen was steady, but Anderson was ruthless on the finishes at the decisive moments. By pinning the right checkouts at the right times, the Scot imposed his will on the Dutchman and secured a surprisingly emphatic 4-1 win, booking his spot in the next round without too many problems. Anderson then faced World Championship sensation Justin Hood, the cheerful Englishman who had already beaten, among others, Danny Noppert and Josh Rock. Anderson was not caught out by ‘Happy Feet’ and ran away a comfortable 5-2 winner in sets against Hood.

This will be the sixth official meeting between Van Veen and Anderson. The Scot won the first four, including a 16-14 thriller at the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts. In September 2025, however, Van Veen took their most recent encounter 7-4.