World Championship Race: Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price lead the way as Van den Bergh and Van Barneveld likely to miss out

PDC
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The World Darts Championship begins on 11 December this year. As last year, 128 players will take to the stage at Alexandra Palace, where they will compete for the coveted Sid Waddell Trophy. But which players have already secured their place at the World Championship, and who still has plenty of work to do in the coming weeks to qualify? This article lists all the players who have qualified so far and looks at the remaining events that could shape the field.
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The top 40 in the world rankings qualify automatically for the World Championship. The 40 highest-ranked players on the Pro Tour Order of Merit also qualify, provided they are not already among the top 40 in the world rankings. That accounts for 80 of the 128 places. The remaining 48 spots will be awarded through various qualifying events held around the world.

Littler, Humphries, Price lead the way

Luke Littler leads the world rankings. The 19-year-old Englishman has developed into the undisputed number one in darts in recent years and heads into the new World Championship as the two-time defending champion. Littler impressed again in 2026, winning an impressive collection of major titles and showing that he remains extremely difficult to stop. It is no surprise that he is once again considered the leading contender for the title at Alexandra Palace.
The World Championship will once again be a major occasion for Littler. He will have the chance to defend his title and further cement his place in darts history. Despite his young age, he has already built an impressive record. His rivals, however, will do everything they can to prevent the Englishman from lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy again.
Behind Littler, the world rankings feature plenty of familiar names. Among those include Gian van Veen who is second seed. Van Veen enjoyed a memorable campaign at last year’s event, reaching the final. He ultimately had to settle for second place behind Luke Littler, but his performances at Alexandra Palace confirmed his place among the world’s elite.
Gerwyn Price is in fourth going into Ally Pally, while Jonny Clayton rounds out the top five. Ross Smith has won plenty of accolades this years sealing two out of three of the recent major titles and is in 6th spot. While James Wade, Nathan Aspinall, Josh Rock, Wessel Nijman all but complete the top 10 in front of Michael van Gerwen.
Michael van Gerwen in action
Michael van Gerwen is chasing a fourth world title
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Michael van Gerwen hopes to bounce back

Just outside the top ten is Michael van Gerwen. The three-time world champion is currently ranked 11th, making him a notable name on the list. For years, “Mighty Mike” was the undisputed world number one, but a new generation of top players has since gained ground on him.
Van Gerwen endured a difficult year and did not always reach his usual level. In the past, he started almost every tournament as one of the leading favourites. Now, he more often has to watch his back in the world rankings. Even so, the Dutchman remains a player to take seriously. His experience, scoring power and impressive record make him dangerous against any opponent.
The World Darts Championship could be the ideal opportunity for Van Gerwen to make a statement. He has won the title three times at Alexandra Palace and knows better than most what it takes to perform at the highest level. Based on his 2026 results, however, a fourth world title looks like a particularly difficult task. Still, nobody will want to rule him out completely when he takes to the stage at the year’s biggest tournament.
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PDC Order of Merit top 40

RankingNamePrize money
1Luke Littler2932.5
2Gian van Veen1036.25
3Luke Humphries918.5
4Gerwyn Price835.5
5Jonny Clayton722
6Ross Smith679
7James Wade660
8Nathan Aspinall594
9Josh Rock593
10Wessel Nijman585.75
11Michael van Gerwen583
12Stephen Bunting582.5
13Danny Noppert566
14Ryan Searle563.75
15Chris Dobey553.5
16Luke Woodhouse512
17Gary Anderson507.75
18Krzysztof Ratajski495.25
19Jermaine Wattimena474
20Martin Schindler455.75
21Damon Heta419.5
22Kevin Doets405.75
23Dirk van Duijvenbode394.75
24Rob Cross378
25Ryan Joyce363.25
26Cameron Menzies362
27Andrew Gilding349.5
28Niels Zonneveld325.25
29William O'Connor288.25
30Dave Chisnall280.25
31Daryl Gurney279.5
32Joe Cullen273.25
33Niko Springer253.75
34Mike De Decker224.25
35Ricardo Pietreczko223
36Peter Wright220
37Michael Smith211
38Karel Sedlacek201.25
39Justin Hood198.5
40Callan Rydz193.25

Reyes and Greaves lead the way

In addition to the world’s top 40, the 40 highest-ranked players on the Pro Tour Order of Merit can also qualify for the World Darts Championship. This applies to players who have not already earned a place through the world rankings. The list also features some notable names, with Cristo Reyes the standout.
The Spaniard leads the Pro Tour Order of Merit, an impressive achievement. Reyes regained his PDC Tour Card only this year, after several seasons away. He has made excellent use of his return, quickly establishing himself among the circuit’s top players.
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Beau Greaves also deserves special mention. The Englishwoman is currently the only female player with a PDC Tour Card and has impressed against the male professionals. Greaves has already won a Players Championship title this year. Her fourth place on the Pro Tour Order of Merit caps a superb season and underlines once again that she can compete with established names at the highest PDC level.
As well as Greaves, the top 10 currently also includes Charlie Manby and Jeffrey de Graaf. Familiar names outside the top 10 include Mensur Suljovic, Max Hopp, James Hurrell and Scott Williams.
Tommy Morris is in 30th despite the fact that he's not a Tour Card holder and he has already qualified through the Challenge Tour. Raymond van Barneveld teeters on the edge in 40th and faces an uphill battle to even qualify. While Michael Smith and Peter Wright might not qualify if they fall out the top 40.

Pro Tour Order of Merit top 40

RankingNamePrize money
1Cristo Reyes101.25
2Sebastian Bialecki91.5
3Kim Huybrechts83.75
4Beau Greaves77.5
5Jeffrey de Graaf76.25
6Maik Kuivenhoven70.25
7Richard Veenstra62.5
8Charlie Manby61.5
9Mickey Mansell59.5
10Tom Bissell58
11Tom Sykes57.25
12Brendan Dolan56
13Gabriel Clemens56
14Keane Barry55.25
15Mensur Suljovic55.25
16Max Hopp54.75
17Rob Owen54
18Bradley Brooks51
19James Hurrell50
20Connor Scutt48.5
21Madars Razma46.25
22Joe Hunt46
23Alan Soutar44.25
24Darius Labanauskas43
25Ritchie Edhouse42.5
26Scott Williams41.25
27Christian Kist41
28Darryl Pilgrim40.25
29Mario Vandenbogaerde39.5
30Tommy Morris39.25
31Jimmy van Schie38.75
32Ian White37.25
33Jim Long36.25
34Lukas Wenig35.75
35Alexander Merkx33.75
36Adam Gawlas33
37David Sharp32.5
38Owen Bates32
39Wesley Plaisier31.75
40Raymond van Barneveld31.75
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England remains the best-represented nation, with plenty of Germans also set for the World Championship

England remains the leading source of players for the upcoming World Darts Championship. Alexandra Palace will once again welcome an international field, but the gap between England and the other nations is considerable. No fewer than 37 English players have already secured a place at the world’s biggest darts tournament. England is therefore comfortably the best-represented nation at the World Championship.
Many of those English players qualified through the world rankings or the Pro Tour Order of Merit. Thirty English players feature in the top 40 across the two lists.
Seven more English players have qualified through other routes: Cam Crabtree, Archie Self, Beau Greaves, Fallon Sherrock, Lisa Ashton, Gemma Hayter and Carl Wilson. They earned their places by other means, bringing the English contingent to a current total of 37 players.
World rankingsPro Tour Order of Merit
1. Luke Littler4. Beau Greaves
3. Luke Humphries8. Charlie Manby
6. Ross Smith10. Tom Bissell
7. James Wade11. Tom Sykes
8. Nathan Aspinall17. Rob Owen
14. Ryan Searle18. Bradley Brooks
15. Chris Dobey19. James Hurrell
16. Luke Woodhouse20. Connor Scutt
24. Rob Cross22. Joe Hunt
25. Ryan Joyce25. Ritchie Edhouse
27. Andrew Gilding26. Scott Williams
30. Dave Chisnall28. Darryl Piglrim
32. Joe Cullen30. Tommy Morris
37. Michael Smith31. Ian White
40. Callan Rydz38. Owen Bates
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Germany also traditionally attracts plenty of interest at the World Darts Championship. German fans turn out in large numbers at Alexandra Palace every year and will once again have several compatriots to support.
Seven German players have already secured places at the World Championship. Three qualified through the world’s top 40. Another three Germans are in the top 40 of the Pro Tour Order of Merit, earning them direct places at Alexandra Palace.
Daniel Klose is a notable name in the German contingent. He finished fourth on the Challenge Tour and will also be making his World Championship debut.
There could be more to come for Germany. The winner of the German Super League will also earn a place at the World Championship, giving the German contingent a chance to grow further.
World rankingsPro Tour Order of Merit
20. Martin Schindler13. Gabriel Clemens
33. Niko Springer16. Max Hopp
35. Ricardo Pietreczko34. Lukas Wenig
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The international qualifiers

Besides the players who qualify directly through the world rankings and Pro Tour Order of Merit, 48 places are available through international qualifying events. Many have already been allocated, but several qualifiers remain in the coming weeks. The field could therefore still change considerably.
The Netherlands has already gained two more representatives. Jurjen van der Velde and Jamai van den Herik both qualified through the Development Tour, bringing the provisional Dutch total to 17. That makes the Netherlands the second-best-represented nation at Alexandra Palace, behind England.
That total could rise further in the coming weeks. The qualifier for Belgian and Dutch players takes place on 14 November, giving players from both countries another chance to earn a World Championship place. The Tour Card Holder Qualifier also offers an opportunity. Dutch and Belgian players can still secure a place in the sport’s annual showpiece through that event.
The women’s field is also taking shape. Five women will compete at this year’s World Championship. Beau Greaves, Lisa Ashton, Gemma Hayter and Fallon Sherrock had already qualified. Vicky Pruim completes the line-up.
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It will be a special occasion for Pruim, who was born in Belgium and will make her Alexandra Palace stage debut. She now represents Sweden and has also secured a place among the world’s top players.
EventDatePositionQualifier
PDC World Youth Championship29 NovemberWinner
PDC Development Tour20 February – 4 OctoberRunner-up Jurjen van der Velde (NED)
Third placeCam Crabtree (ENG)
Fourth placeJamai van den Herik (NED)
PDC Challenge Tour16 January – 27 SeptemberRunner-up Derek Coulson (WAL)
Fourth placeDaniel Klose (GER)
Fifth placeArchie Self (ENG)
Women's World Matchplay26 JulyWinner Beau Greaves (ENG)
PDC Women's Series7 February – 11 OctoberRunner-up Lisa Ashton (ENG)
Third placeFallon Sherrock (ENG)
Fourth placeGemma Hayter (ENG)
Fifth placeVicky Pruim (SWE)
Steel Tour Japan5 May – 23 SeptemberWinner Motomu Sakai (JPN)
PDC China Championship2 NovemberWinner  (CHN)
IDC Indian Qualifier2–4 OctoberWinner Nitin Kumar (IND)
PDC Asian Championship14 SeptemberWinner Paolo Nebrida (PHI)
Runner-upKam Weng Cheng (MAC)
PDC Asian Tour24 January – 13 SeptemberWinner Ryuta Arihara (JPN)
 Christian Perez (PHI)Third placeChristian Perez (PHI)
 Haruki Muramatsu (JPN)Fourth placeHaruki Muramatsu (JPN)
 Lok Yin Lee (HKG)Fifth placeLok Yin Lee (HKG)
Seventh placeMan Lok Leung (HKG)
PDCE Netherlands & Belgium Qualifier14 NovemberWinner
PDCE Mediterranean Qualifier6–8 NovemberWinner
PDCE South-East Europe Qualifier28 NovemberWinner
PDCE Czechia Qualifier29 NovemberWinner  (CZE)
PDO Polish Qualifier13 NovemberWinner  (POL)
PDCE DACH Super League10–13 NovemberWinner
Hungarian Super League7 March – 31 OctoberWinner  (HUN)
PDC UK&IRE TCH & AM Qualifier28 SeptemberWinner Carl Wilson (ENG)
PDC North American Championship26 JuneWinner Adam Sevada (USA)
CDC Continental Cup6–7 NovemberWinner
CDC Cross-Border Challenge17–18 AprilWinner David Cameron (CAN)
CDC Pro Tour8 May – 18 OctoberHighest-ranked American Fred Krueger (USA)
Highest-ranked CanadianBrayden Hall (CAN)
CDLC Tour23 April – 26 JulyWinner Jesús Salate (ARG)
PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship6–8 NovemberWinner
PDCNB Pro Tour7 February – 27 SeptemberWinner Daniel Larsson (SWE)
Runner-upCor Dekker (NOR)
ANZ Premier League26 September – 31 OctoberWinnerRaymond Smith (AUS)
ADA Tour20 February – 13 SeptemberWinner Brody Klinge (AUS)
DPNZ Pro Tour14 February – 6 SeptemberWinner Ben Robb (NZL)
Trans-Tasman Championship30 AugustWinner Mal Cuming (AUS)
African Darts Group – Northern Africa Qualifier20 SeptemberWinner David Munyua (KEN)
African Darts Group – Southern Africa Qualifier1 NovemberWinner
PDC Tour Card Holder Qualifier30 November1
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Van den Bergh, Evans and others are currently missing

Despite the large number of players who have already secured a place at the World Darts Championship, several familiar names are still outside the field. Two notable absentees are currently outside the world’s top 64 and risk missing the annual darts celebration at Alexandra Palace.
One of them is Ricky Evans. The Englishman is currently 48th in the world rankings and is a familiar face at the World Championship. Known for his lightning-fast throw and colourful outfits, Evans has reached the last 32 at Alexandra Palace seven times. His place in the upcoming edition, however, is not yet secure.
Dimitri Van den Bergh’s situation is even more striking. The Belgian, a two-time major winner, is enduring a particularly difficult season and is even at risk of losing his PDC Tour Card. His chances of qualifying for the World Championship are limited. The Tour Card Holder Qualifier is his only remaining opportunity to earn a place at Alexandra Palace.
Several other well-known players outside the top 64 are also missing from the provisional field. Nick Kenny, Martin Lukeman, Thibault Tricole, Ryan Meikle, Jeffrey de Zwaan and Mervyn King are among those in danger of missing the World Championship. All have appeared on darts’ biggest stage several times in the past.
Even the legendary Paul Lim will not be there this year. The 72-year-old Singaporean, nicknamed “The Singapore Slinger”, failed to qualify through the Asian Tour. One of the sport’s most iconic names could therefore miss the upcoming World Championship.
Dimitri Van den Bergh looks frustrated
Dimitri Van den Bergh is unlikely to feature at this year’s World Championship

Conclusion

Many players have already secured places at the World Darts Championship, but the battle for the remaining spots is still under way. Some of the field have begun preparing for the annual showpiece at Alexandra Palace. They can look ahead to the tournament with confidence, while a tense few weeks await others.
The coming weeks will be crucial. Every match could decide whether a player gets to compete on darts’ biggest stage or faces a winter without the World Championship. The final qualifying events could also produce surprises, giving lesser-known names a chance to step into the spotlight.
For some, it is already time to pack for London. Others still have plenty to do to keep their World Championship dream alive.
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