PDC World Darts Championship 2026: Darts Sparks Fly

The darts world is beginning to gear up for the exciting PDC World Darts Championship 2026, with past contenders facing off in front of a fan base. Initially, Arno Merk secured a win against Kim Huybrechts, which ended 3-1. After that, Michael Smith completed an unbeaten 3-0 win over Lisa Ashton, finishing 3-0. Star darter Luke Littler defeated Darius Labanauskas 3-0 in the PDC World Darts Championship. Additionally, Madars Razma secured victory against Jamai van den Herik, which ended 3-1 in the PDC World Darts Championship.

On December 12, 2025, many thrilling past rivalries were played out, with Niels Zonneveld defeating Haupi Puha. Next, Ian White secured a win over Mervyn King with a final score of 3-2. Furthermore, Ryan Searle stunned opponents with a 3-0 score against Chris Landman in the PDC World Darts Championship. Dive into the world of darts in-depth with fresh news.

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Past Challenges

However, Rob Cross defeated Cor Dekker with a score of 3-0, and Andreas Harryson secured a win against Ross Smith. At the same time, Ricky Evans defeated Man Lok Leung in a score of 3-0 in the PDC World Darts Championship. Following that, Gian van Veen defeated Cristo Reyes with a final score of 3-1, and Damon Heta won over Steve Lennon with a final score of 3-1.

On December 13, 2025, David Davies secured a 3-0 victory against Mario Vandenbogaerde in the PDC World Darts Championship. Next, Andrew Gilding defeated Cam Crabtree with a final score of 3-1. Meanwhile, Luke Woodhouse, remained unbeaten against Boris Krcmar, completed four sets to end with 3-1. In the same way, Gary Anderson gained against Adam Hunt, with the final score being 3-2. Check out all the game details and pick the latest updates with new formations and new flashes.

In the PDC World Darts Championship, Paul Lim took a led 3-1 lead against Jeffrey de Graaf in the evening session. Even so, Wessel Nijman secured a win over Karel Sedlacek with a 3-0 scoreline, and Luke Humphries was unbeaten in a 3-1 victory over Ted Evetts. Gabriel Clemens is unbeaten against Alex Spellman with a 3-0 score. In round 1, Jonny Tata defeated Ritchie Edhouse with a final score of 3-0. In contrast, Nitin Kumar secured comeback win over Richard Veenstra’s lead and completed a 3-2 score in the PDC World Darts Championship.

Subsequently, Wesley Plaisier remained unbeaten, 3-1, against Lukas Wenig, and Joe Cullen dominated 3-0 against Bradley Brooks. Darren Beveridge secured over Dimitri Van den Bergh with an ending score of 3-0. In particular, Stephen Bunting stunned Sebastian Bialecki in the evening session. Stowe Buntz defeated James Hurrell with a final score of 3-1 in the PDC World Darts Championship.

Upcoming Hurdles

Matt Campbell vs Adam Sevada

Matt Campbell will face Adam Sevada on December 17, 2025, at Alexandra Palace in London, England. They are meeting up for an evening session in the PDC World Darts Championship.

Rankings

• Matt Campbell—59th position in the PDC World.
• Adam Sevada—1st position in the PDC CDC Tour.

Previous Rivalry

Matt Campbell lost to Wesley Plaisier in the Grand Slam of Darts Qualifier, which has his latest result in 2025. Despite that, he has shown a stable advantage compared with Plaisier in the darts competitions. Meanwhile, Campbell continues to perform consistently throughout this year. For example, Matt Campbell secured a win against Luke Littler and another tough opponent, Chris Dobey. Then after a loss, he has gained another triumph against Kim Huybrechts. Matt Campbell gained with Tytus Kanik, who ended 6-2.

Coupled with that, Matt Campbell’s performances earned him the Players Championship 2025 tournament, as evidenced. At the Players Championships 2025 PC 33 Wigan, his exposure, skill, and determination led to many victories. Matt Campbell won all 14 titles in the darts world and needs to enhance his strategy.

In the same way, Adam Sevada earned over Alex Spellman at the PDC North American Tour 2025 season. Again, he defeated Kaidon Newberry 6-1 in the CDC main event 16. In essence, Adam Sevada secured four of the five latest matchups in the PDC North American Tour (CDC) 2025 competition.

Followed by Adam Sevada over Darryl Christie and Kaidon Newberry with 6-4 and 5-1, respectively. He has lost 5-6 to Jacob Taylor in the same event in one of the sets. According to their performances, Matt Campbell has a greater chance of holding on to a win.

Raymond van Barneveld vs Stefan Bellmont

At Alexandra Palace, London, England, Raymond van Barneveld will face off with Steffan Bellmont. Both players are playing on December 17, 2025, in the PDC World Darts Championship.

Rankings

• Raymond van Barneveld—35th position in the PDC World.
• Stefan Bellmont—111th position in the PDC World.

Previous Rivalry

In the 2025 season, Raymond van Barneveld lost against Krzysztof Ratajski, who ended 3-6 in the Player Championship Finals. In other words, he has another loss to Dave Chisnall in the Grand Slam of Darts Qualifier 2025. While at the Players Championships this year, PC 34 Wigan played Raymond van Barneveld and lost with Dylan Slevin scoring 3-6. Additionally, he earned two wins of his three most recent sets in the Players Championship 2025 PC 33 Wigan.

However, Raymond van Barneveld stands out for his consistency with his years of experience, while others comparatively do not. Currently, he placed 29th in the PDC European Tour and 14th in the PDC World Series of Darts. Barneveld dominated in the 33rd PDC ProTour and was in 39th position in the PDC Players Championship rankings.  

Stefan Bellmont dominated with James Wade in the Grand Slam of Darts 2025 season. Again, he has two losses against Gerwyn Price and Ricky Evans in the Grand Slam of Darts competition.

Many more categories to reward his rankings based on 112th place for the PDC European Tour and PDC ProTour. In brief, Stefan Bellmont secured the 109th position in the PDC Players Championship. Hence, Raymond van Barneveld will have more chances to take a steal in the upcoming game.

James Wade vs Ryusei Azemoto

On December 17, 2025, James Wade and Ryusei Azemoto will meet at Alexandra Palace in London, England. They are joining up for the evening session in the PDC World Darts Championship.

Rankings

• James Wade—7th position in the PDC World.
• Ryusei Azemoto—3rd position in the PDC Asian Tour.

Previous Rivalry

James Wade performs with the machine’s powerful flow at all times. His nickname was “The Machine,” and he won 47 titles over his career. In the recent results, James Wade suffered an upset loss against Jemaine Wattimena in the Players Championship Finals 2025. Afterward, he has a consecutive victory against Andrew Gilding, Peter Wright, and Mickey Mansell.

However, James Wade leads in the highest WDC average, TV average, and major averages, all of which are stable. At that time, he dominated seventh position in the PDC World Championship Race Table World Rankings and Tour Card Race. In the PDC European Tour standings, James Wade is ranked 13th position.

At the World Masters 2025, Ryusei Azemoto lost against Andreas Hyllgaardhus score of 4-5. On the whole, his three straight victories were over Terry Ford, Danilo Piccioni, and Angel Rodriguez.

Finally, he finished 3rd on the PDC Asian Tour and 6th at the WDF Asia Open. In the Asia tournament, Ryusei Azemoyo secured a 12th position in the WDF World Masters Race Table for the Asia Open. As a result, James Wade will undoubtedly win the forthcoming match.

Martin Schindler vs Stephen Burton

In the evening session of the PDC World Darts Championship, Martin Schindler will compete with Stephen Burton. Both players are meeting on December 17, 2025, at Alexandra Palace in London, England.

Rankings

• Martin Schindler—13th position in the PDC World.
• Stephen Burton—67th position in the PDC World.

Previous Rivalry

Martin Schindler was very disappointed with the loss against Gerwyn Price and another set victory over Nick Kenny. He defeated Michael Smith with a 6-4 score in the Players Championship Finals 2025. In the Grand Slam of Darts 2025, Schindler earned two of his four matchups against Stephen Bunting and Alexis Toylo. However, he finishes 2nd on the PDC European Tour and 6th on the PDC ProTour. Martin Schindler obtained 16th place for the PDC World Grand Prix Race table and the PDC Players Championship rankings.

Conversely, Stephen Burton has secured 84th position in the PDC ProTour and 73rd in the PDC Players Championship. His achievements are notable, with 67th place for the PDC World Matchplay Race Table and the PDC World Championship Race Table. Therefore, Stephen Burton will likely lead in his upcoming games.

Jermaine Wattimena vs Dominik Grullich

At round 1 in the PDC World Darts Championship, Jermaine Wattimena will tussle with Dominik Grullich. They are taking part on December 18, 2025, at Alexandra Palace, London, England.

Rankings

• Jermaine Wattimena—19th position in the PDC World.
• Dominik Grullich—98th position in the PDC World.

Previous Rivalry

Jermaine Wattimena is an elite player, as evidenced by his achievements in the 24th PDC European Tour rankings. After all, he secured against James Wade in the Players Championship Finals performances. Even though he showcases the highest WDC average, major average, and all five titles. Jermaine Wattimena has participated in and performed better at the 2025 Players Championship 34 Wigan.

Correspondingly, Dominik Grullich is a rising star in darts due to his young age and dedication to the sport. He ranks 98th in the PDC World Championship Race Table World Rankings and Tour Card Race Table Rankings. In the PDC World Championship Youth 2025, he contributed with three straight wins against Lennert Faes, Kimi Seemann, and Jarod Becker. So, Jermaine Wattimena will make an edge.

Michael van Gerwen vs Mitsuhiko Tatsunami

In round 1 of the PDC World Darts Championship, Michael van Gerwen will confront Mitsuhiko Tatsunami. Both players meet on December 18, 2025, at Alexandra Palace, London, England.

Rankings

• Michael van Gerwen—3rd position in the PDC World.
• Mitsuhiko Tatsunami- 13th position in the PDC Asian Tour.

Previous Rivalry

Michael van Gerwen has a record of early impressive wins, including three World Championship titles, 49 major titles, and 68 TV titles. Overall, he reached 184 titles, and the backbone of his highest averages. This year, Michael van Gerwen secured two wins from four matchups in the Grand Slam of Darts 2025. Consequently, he has scored three victories with Daryl Gurney, Chris Dobey, and Wessel Nijman in the European Championship.

Mitsuhiko Tatsunami earned five straight wins in his five matchups in the PDC Japan Tour 2025. In other words, he suffered a loss over to Seigo Asada in the PDC Japan Tour 2025 JT 12 with a 4-1 score. In PDC Japan Tour 2025 JT 09, Mitsuhiko Tatsunami secured a 4-1 victory against Takenori Kirara. His achievements are based on his third position in the PDC Japan Tour rankings. Thus, Michael van Gerwen will, beyond doubt, dominate in this match.