Who were the standout performers at the World Cup of Darts? Exclusive list of future superstars who shone for their country

This year’s World Cup of Darts featured a whole host of unbelievable matches, drama, and tension across the four-day event. From host nation Germany upsetting the number one seeded England side, to Northern Ireland winning an all-time classic final against Wales, there was real quality darts and amazing team chemistry on display throughout.

While the usual stars performed as expected (barring England and Scotland), a few players shone brightly and elevated their game to a higher level on the biggest stage of them all. Here are five of the biggest standout performers who caught the eye this year.

Coming into this event, Paolo Nebrida was ranked as low as 8th on the Asian PDC Tour Order of Merit, so he was definitely not expected to exceed the pre-tournament expectations of crashing out in the group stages, alongside partner Lourence Ilagan for the Philippines. With his only notable achievement being a run to the round of 32 in last year’s World Championships, you would’ve been hard pushed to find anyone who truly believed Nebrida could be a standout performer at this year’s World Cup of Darts.

However, this was proven to be completely false as Nebrida, alongside his partner Ilagan, delivered one of the best underdog tournament runs at the event. They progressed through a group that featured the highly fancied Belgian pairing of Dimitri Van Den Bergh and Mike De Decker, as well as a challenging Latvian team with Madars Razma and Valters Melderis.

The Philippines began their campaign with a solid 4-2 victory over Latvia, setting themselves up for a blockbuster clash with Belgium in the final group game to decide who would advance. In a winner-takes-all showdown, it took an incredible comeback from Nebrida and Ilagan, who fought back from 3-0 down to win 4-3 in a sensational deciding-leg victory. Nebrida led the charge in that final leg, hitting a crucial 180 to pile the pressure on Belgium before Ilagan set up double 12 for Nebrida. With three darts in hand, Nebrida used them all in pursuit of the winning double, eventually landing double 3 to give the Philippines a massive win and secure their place in the knockout rounds.

Nebrida and Ilagan would sadly crash out in the first knockout round after a disappointing 8-2 loss to eventual finalists Wales, but that should not overshadow Nebrida’s fantastic performances throughout the event. It could be the beginning of something special if he is able to compete more regularly in PDC tour events. Nebrida will now be aiming to return to the World Championships later this year, with hopes of surpassing his previous run to the last 32.

Another Asian player up next is Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung. A quick note from me before we dive into this one — the PDC has done an absolutely sensational job of increasing Asian representation in the sport, and I can only imagine that going forward, it won’t be long before we see one of the world’s best players coming from Asia. This year’s edition of the World Cup once again proved that a player’s nationality has no bearing on their ability to perform at the highest level. Man Lok Leung showed at last year’s World Championships just how capable he is of producing high-level performances, reaching the last 64 and averaging 96.26. So, coming into this event, it was intriguing to see whether he could continue to perform at that level and potentially help his country reach the latter stages of the tournament.

He would do exactly that, very much putting Hong Kong on his back and helping push his partner, Lok Yin Lee, to secure multiple wins for their nation. Hong Kong began their campaign with a 4-1 victory over a USA side that struggled to compete. Both players for Hong Kong were clearly superior, which led to a comfortable win and, more importantly, a strong start that secured their place in the knockout stages.

Man Lok Leung and his partner then faced Sweden in the last 16, providing a tough test against Jeffrey De Graaf and Oskar Lukasiak. However, thanks to an absolutely ridiculous display from Man Lok Leung, Hong Kong sailed through to their first-ever World Cup quarter-final. With an average of 101.91 and 100% accuracy on doubles, this was one of the best individual performances of the entire event. Hong Kong won 8-4 in the end and progressed to the last eight full of confidence. For perspective, Leung’s average was 13.58 points higher than the next best on stage, which belonged to Sweden’s number one, Jeffrey De Graaf.

Just like our last entrant, Man Lok Leung’s country would also taste defeat at the hands of Wales, this time in the quarter-finals. Despite the loss, it will definitely be a campaign both players can be proud of, as they proved they have the capability to compete at the highest level. However, it is unlikely we’ll see either of these players on the tour regularly, as Leung outlined the challenges around travel following their win against Sweden: “Because we have jobs in Hong Kong. It’s difficult for Asian players because the travel is so expensive". We can only hope the PDC continues to improve access and support, so we see more and more Asian players on tour in the years to come.

The Dutch world number 24 was not even expected to be at this event and only received the call-up due to a withdrawal from the iconic Michael van Gerwen. As a result, the Netherlands were stripped of their seeded status, and many expected them to struggle without their legendary leader. However, Gian van Veen proved his qualities by showcasing exceptional scoring ability and helped strengthen his campaign to be recognised as one of the most talented players on tour—someone just waiting to break into the top 10 on the Order of Merit.

Despite eventually crashing out in the semi-finals against Wales (who make another appearance on this list), there were still many positives for the Dutch pairing of Gian van Veen and Danny Noppert. The Netherlands set a record for consecutive legs won at the World Cup of Darts after racking up a remarkable 16 legs in a row. Their run came to an end when they lost the first leg of their match against the Czech Republic on the way to an 8–2 victory.

On the way to the semi-finals, the Netherlands defeated the Italian pairing of Michele Turreta and Massimo Dalla Rosa 4-0, as well as the Hungarian team featuring Gergely Lakatos and Gyorgy Jehirszki—also winning 4-0 in that match—ensuring a clean sweep throughout the group stage. In the first knockout round, the Netherlands faced what many expected to be a very challenging opponent in Scotland. However, they proved to be no match for the outstanding performance put in by Gian van Veen and his partner, as the Dutch side secured yet another whitewash victory, winning 8-0.

Van Veen posted huge numbers in this one, averaging 103.06 and hitting 50% on doubles, providing all the scoring power for his side. While we’ve seen Van Veen produce world-class performances before, it was even more impressive to see him doing so while out of rhythm and playing in a doubles format.

Following an 8-2 win against the Czech Republic in the next round, the Netherlands would eventually lose out to the runners-up, Wales, in the semi-finals. The match was a high-quality encounter with both sides proving they were more than deserving of a spot in the final. Wales would ultimately win 8-5, but it remains a very positive showing for the relatively inexperienced Van Veen.

Going into the later stages of this PDC calendar year, there is every chance Gian van Veen emerges as one of darts’ premier players and picks up at least one major title before the year’s end. Even if Van Veen doesn’t do it this year, I could almost definitely see him ticking that milestone off sooner rather than later.

Germany’s number one seeded player, Martin Schindler, was sensational in his efforts to guide his nation to a World Cup semi-final appearance. All throughout the tournament, Schindler proved why he was the higher-ranked player in his pairing alongside debutant Ricardo Pietreczko, providing his usual power scoring and even being super reliable on doubles at times. Despite the fact Germany would eventually lose out to ultimate victors Northern Ireland at the semi-final stage, there should be little shame brought onto Martin Schindler’s name.

The world number 19, Schindler has previous form when it comes to winning big matches, as seen during his two European Tour victories as well as a victory on the Pro Tour in 2025. As a non-seeded team at this year’s World Cup of Darts, there was immense pressure on Germany from the start — not only having to get out of the groups but also needing to put on a strong display in front of their home fans. Of course, throughout all of Germany’s matches, there was an entire encore of spectators cheering every dart into the treble, but this pressure isn’t always the easiest to contend with. However, forever a cool character, Schindler never backed down from this pressure, even when times were tough, and he performed admirably throughout.

Germany would begin their campaign against a dynamic Portugal side that featured José De Sousa and Bruno Nascimento in a cagey 4-2 victory. They handled the pressure well but struggled to perform to the highest of levels that everyone expected prior to the tournament. However, a win is a win, and in their next game against Singapore, the iconic Paul Lim wasn’t able to stop the German march, as his side faded to a 4-0 defeat against Schindler and Pietreczko in a thrashing. This result would set up Germany well for their knockout campaign, as they would face pre-tournament favourites, England.

In this one, Germany would shock not only the world but indeed their home supporters as well, as they pulled off one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, defeating England 8-4. Schindler was inspired in this match, averaging a mammoth 96.18 — but perhaps the stats don’t tell the full story. The German number one’s numbers were indeed better than any of the other players on the stage, but it was his excellent timing that gave Germany the edge, often landing a big visit at the perfect time and setting up his partner perfectly to finish the legs.

In the next round, Germany would once again run out victorious — this time against a much tougher challenge in Australia, edging them out 8-7 in a last-leg decider. Schindler once again outperformed his partner in terms of average, boasting a scoring average of 103.96, further highlighting his exceptional power scoring. Germany looked promising heading into their semi-final clash against the dominant Northern Ireland.

It was not meant to be for Team Germany in this one, however, as Northern Ireland stormed their way to the final with an extremely comfortable 8-1 victory — completely outplaying the hosts in what turned out to be a fairly disappointing way to exit the competition.

Sometimes in pairs, you need a bit of luck, and you also need your partner to step up for you. In their eventual defeat, Germany didn’t have either, but a journey to the semi-finals was, in my opinion, a well-earned and positive performance from the host nation — and one that brings optimism for future editions.

Martin Schindler can certainly hold his head high after his exploits in this event, and I look forward to seeing what ‘The Wall’ can offer for the rest of the upcoming events this year.

At number one on this list—did you really expect anyone else? Throughout the entire event, Josh Rock was simply phenomenal, delivering one of the greatest World Cup campaigns we’ve ever seen from an individual—made even more impressive considering it was in a pairs format. Even though Northern Ireland entered after the group stage as a seeded side, expectations were relatively low for the young star to deliver at such a high level. In truth, I'm running out of superlatives to describe just how consistently brilliant Rock was across the tournament. Of course, we now know Northern Ireland went on to lift the trophy, but even if they hadn’t, Rock’s performance would still be remembered as an all-time great run, something fans and players alike can look back on and admire for years to come.

Only avoiding the group stage thanks to a late withdrawal from Michael van Gerwen, expectations were limited for Northern Ireland heading into the tournament. Many had their eyes on the seemingly unstoppable duo of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. But Josh Rock and his partner Daryl Gurney wasted no time in proving the doubters wrong, dismantling South Africa 8-2 in a dominant opening performance. From the outset, the pair showed they were serious contenders. Rock averaged 96.14 in what would later be seen as just a warm-up for things to come.

In the quarter-finals, Northern Ireland faced their neighbours in an all-Irish clash against the Republic of Ireland. It was a competitive and entertaining match, but once again, Rock stepped up. Averaging 97.76 with a sharp 45% on doubles, he effectively carried his team into the semi-finals — continuing to showcase his class and consistency at the highest level.

Moving into the semi-finals, this was where Josh Rock truly exploded onto the scene and began showcasing a level of talent that ranks among the best darts has ever seen. Northern Ireland faced off against Germany in a match many expected to be tightly contested — a battle of contenders against the host nation. However, thanks to an astonishing 105.33 average from Rock, the Germans were blown away. Northern Ireland cruised to an 8-1 victory in what was a stunning result, especially given the home crowd advantage for Germany. Rock threw three 180s and controlled the tie from start to finish, displaying ruthless efficiency and real killer instinct.

Then came the showpiece occasion, the World Cup of Darts final against Wales. Everyone knew Rock would need to deliver again, facing seasoned champions Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price. After a tense back-and-forth battle, Rock rose to the moment with a performance for the ages — averaging a ridiculous 107.88 in the biggest match of his career. He led Northern Ireland to victory after the duo hit a mind-blowing 11-dart leg in a winner-takes-all final leg shootout. Even more incredible, Rock hit nine 180s during the match and ended with a 118.63 scoring average. It was a clutch display that cemented his status as a future star. Northern Ireland edged out Wales 10-9 to lift the World Cup of Darts trophy, and an emotional Rock clearly understood the magnitude of his performance.

Looking ahead, it’s hard to imagine Josh Rock not becoming a true superstar of the sport — destined to win an array of major titles in what promises to be a glistening career. Keep your eyes on him at the World Matchplay and the World Championships — this rising star is primed for a deep run.

Following this event, the PDC has once again demonstrated its commitment and determination to develop and champion players from all around the globe — and this can only be seen as a positive step forward. As darts continues to evolve into a progressively younger sport, the benefits of such global inclusivity are clear to see. Hopefully, both fans and pundits alike will have the pleasure of watching the rise of many budding stars in the near future. But for now, we’ll just have to wait and see.