World Cup of Darts 2026: Draw, Schedule, Field and Predictions

The World Cup of Darts is due to take place between 11-14 June, 2026 and it is the 16th staging of the tournament by the PDC. It will be played at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt.

The total prize fund is £500,000 of which the winning team will share £100,000. The tournament will feature 40 pairs of national teams. The big teams place in the second round and the rest are in the group stage at the World Cup.

Northern Ireland will be the defending champions after Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney beat Wales 10-9 in the 2025 final. Littler/Humphries for England, Van Gerwen/Van Veen for Netherlands and Menzies/Anderson for Scotland. No Gerwyn Price who has decided to spend the week with his family.

The draw will take place the week of the tournament, likely starting 8 June 2026. It will see the top four nations based on rankings enter in the second round. The remaining players start in the group stage aiming to make the latter stages.

The schedule will be confirmed shortly after the draw in Frankfurt, with the unseeded nations in group action first.

Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com sees Scotland winning the title with Gary Anderson leading from the front.

I think that Gary Anderson will anchor Scotland from the front in Frankfurt alongside a livewire Cameron Menzies. I have a good feeling about them as well as Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney and also O'Connor and Mansell.

For me, it has to be tandems that work well together, and Littler/Humphries and Van Gerwen/Van Veen will have too heavy a spotlight on them again and are so used to being their own man.

So ultimately, big names aren't always a signal of success. I'd pick Germany, but Pietreczko's game has fallen off a cliff to the point he looks like Co Stompe, and Schindler is hit and miss.

*** Scotland

** Northern Ireland, Ireland

Lucas Michael, Editor for DartsNews.com has picked England to finally do it.

The World Cup of Darts is set to commence with darts taking a different turn in the format. Patriotism will be on display with a whole load of passion on the stage and in the crowd.

This is a tough call: England will not win the World Cup. I think the two Luke’s will get a win on the board this time around, but I reckon they bow out before the final. This opens the door for everyone else.

I am counting Wales out due to Gerwyn Price skipping the tournament while Ricardo Pietreczko’s dartitis could hamper, albeit even help, Germany depending on how he can control it. The reigning champions, Northern Ireland, will be here or there abouts, but in my opinion the baton will be passed to a different country in 2026.

That will be either Netherlands or Scotland. I think Gary Anderson will guarantee be a force to be reckoned with. Cameron Menzies will be pumped, but can he control his emotions? If he does, then I would say Scotland would win it. If not, the Netherlands could come through and win the title once more.

While Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen are not playing at their absolute best, I have a feeling their inconsistent form, especially van Gerwen, will take a positive turn for the better and will go on and win the World Cup.

*** Netherlands

** Scotland, Northern Ireland

* England, Germany, Wales

Bram Coenen, Editor for DartsNieuws.com has picked England or Netherlands for glory.

The World Cup of Darts is one of the tournaments I look forward to the most every single year. It offers something different from the regular events: a unique format with only doubles matches, while also giving fans the chance to watch players we do not usually see on the big stage throughout the season. On top of that, there is of course the special feeling of representing your country. That often pushes players to give just that little bit extra in order to make their compatriots proud.

When it comes to the top favourites, it is impossible to look past England, with Luke Littler and Luke Humphries representing the world numbers one and two. However, last year proved that this is no guarantee for success, as England suffered a shock defeat against Germany right away. Moreover, Littler does not exactly have the best relationship with the German crowd. Still, I believe England will go all the way this year. The two Lukes are ambitious enough to make up for last year’s disappointment.

Looking at the challengers, there is of course the Dutch duo of Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen. Both players have been inconsistent this season, so it remains to be seen which version of them will show up in Frankfurt. And then there is defending champion Northern Ireland. Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney will be eager to retain their title, although in terms of pure quality they still seem slightly behind England and the Netherlands.

As an outsider, I would perhaps point to Poland. Krzysztof Ratajski brings plenty of experience and is almost always a reliable performer, while his young teammate Sebastian Bialecki can still be somewhat inconsistent. However, he has already shown that he is capable of producing very high averages as well.

In any case, it promises to be a tournament to look forward to, with undoubtedly a few surprises that nobody saw coming.

*** England

** Netherlands

* Northern Ireland, Poland

Nicolas Gayer, Editor for DartsNews.DE saw Wales as favourite until Price's withdrawal.

The favourite had, in truth, been clear to me — and probably to most of us — for months: Wales. Jonny Clayton had spent weeks tearing through the Premier League Darts in outstanding form, while Gerwyn Price was also shining with major semi-finals and titles on both the floor and the European Tour. But then came Price’s withdrawal — and with it, the entire picture changed.

With all due respect to Nick Kenny, I do not expect Wales to win the title with this line-up. I also consider a title defence from Northern Ireland unlikely, and I do not really see the Netherlands as top favourites either, even though Dutch darts is currently experiencing a new golden generation. As strange as it may sound, based on current form, Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen are not the two strongest Dutch players taking to the stage in Frankfurt. Scotland, too, are entering a new era after the legendary duo of Peter Wright and Gary Anderson. I am sure Cameron Menzies and “The Flying Scotsman” will be great fun to watch, especially with their incredible scoring power — but I do not see the two Scots lifting the title either.

Looking at the outsider nations, one clear dark horse stands out to me: Poland. Krzysztof Ratajski, who has returned to absolute top form after a difficult spell in his career, alongside Sebastian Białecki, who is playing the darts of his life. Two quiet characters, the apprentice and his master — this could be a special World Cup for Poland.

For last year’s semi-finalists and hosts, Germany, I do not expect another run into the decisive stages this time. The reason is obvious: Ricardo Pietreczko’s battle with dartitis. Although “Pikachu” reached the final session of the International Darts Open in Riesa at the weekend with a heroic run, and is clearly working incredibly hard on his throw — something that commands nothing but respect — I simply do not expect Team Germany to be able to compete at the very highest level this year.

Finally, to the most important question: who wins the PDC World Cup of Darts 2026? My answer is: it’s coming home. If not in the USA, then at least in Frankfurt. So much was said last year about Luke Humphries and Luke Littler not working as a team. After their opening defeat to Germany last year, they were torn apart by pundits, media, fans, and even rivals. I was somewhat surprised by that assessment, given that Humphries and Littler had been regarded as good friends and respectful rivals ever since the rise of the 19-year-old double world champion.

And honestly, I have to ask: when two of the best darts players of the modern era — and two of the most talented players in the history of the sport — stand at the oche together, how much does travelling together or sharing a table in the practice room really matter? I expect England to arrive at the Eissporthalle Frankfurt with extra motivation this year — and to let their darts do the talking.

Favourites:

***England

**Northern Ireland, Poland

*Netherlands, Scotland, Czechia

Pieter Verbeek, Editor for DartsNieuws.com can't look past England and says that others can't be ruled in or out due to ranking.

You simply can’t look past England as the favourites for the World Cup of Darts. Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are the two best players in the world right now, which means every other pairing faces a monumental task to stop the English duo. Last year did show, however, that England are far from unbeatable, as the two Lukes suffered a surprise defeat against Germany. Still, the chances of that happening again seem extremely slim, and the disappointment of last year may well have sharpened both Littler and Humphries even further heading into this edition.

Further down the world rankings, it is the Netherlands who boast the world numbers three and four in their line-up. That does not automatically make them the second favourites for the title, but when comparing them to the other teams, Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen probably deserve that status. Neither Dutchman has been in outstanding form recently, although the same can be said for most of the leading nations. It also feels like the Netherlands are due another deep run at the World Cup of Darts, having last reached the final back in 2018.

Last year’s tournament was won in surprising fashion by Northern Ireland, with Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney lifting the title. They once again belong to the group of dangerous outsiders, although Rock does not appear quite as dominant as he did twelve months ago. Scotland will also be fascinating to watch. Gary Anderson teams up with Cameron Menzies, and if ‘The Flying Scotsman’ can keep his eccentric compatriot focused, the Scots certainly have the quality to go a long way in the tournament.

Other traditional powerhouses such as Germany, featuring Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko, Belgium with Mike De Decker and Dimitri Van den Bergh, Wales with Jonny Clayton and Nick Kenny, Australia with Damon Heta and Adam Leek, and Austria with Mensur Suljovic and Rusty-Jake Rodriguez, all seem to carry question marks. Either one or both players are struggling for form, or simply may not have the overall quality required to challenge for the title. That is why Poland stands out to me as a genuine dark horse. Krzysztof Ratajski and Sebastian Bialecki have both enjoyed strong ProTour campaigns and appear to work well together as a partnership. With a favourable draw, they could certainly make a deep run.

*** England

** Netherlands

* Northern Ireland, Scotland, Poland

Mats Leering, Editor for DartsNieuws.com believes Netherlands or Northern Ireland can pull it off if England don't.

It’s clear to me that England are the clear favourites. Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are simply the two best players in the world as a pair. Although they were knocked out surprisingly early last year, I don’t see that happening this year. Individually, they’re too good, so I don’t think anyone can stop them.

The only team that could have stopped them, in my opinion, was Wales. But with Gerwyn Price pulling out, that’s out of the question too. Although Jonny Clayton is still a world-class player, the inclusion of Nick Kenny in place of Price is a significant blow. I don’t believe Kenny is up to the standard, and Clayton won’t be able to carry the entire burden on his shoulders alone.

The only challenger England has left, then, is the Netherlands, which has a potentially formidable pairing in Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen. On paper, they should be able to give Littler and Humphries a run for their money. However, neither gentleman is exactly in top form, so I fear they will disappoint and won’t get very far.

Which countries can we still mention as outsiders? Northern Ireland has a pairing in Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney that already showed last year they are capable of winning this tournament. They could easily make another deep run this time around as well. Scotland also has two strong players in Gary Anderson and Cameron Menzies, but the question is whether they will work well together as a duo. We will have to wait and see. Although Germany and Belgium have experienced names on paper, I am afraid they are going to disappoint.

Countries that could potentially surprise people — not necessarily by winning the title, but by making it through the group stage — are, in my opinion, Hong Kong, Spain, Japan, and New Zealand. Ireland and Poland could also emerge as dark horses in this tournament.

Favourites

***England

**Netherlands, Northern Ireland

*Scotland Ireland