World Darts Championship 2026 draw: Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Beau Greaves learn opponents

Littler became the youngest world champion, aged 17, when he beat Dutchman Van Gerwen in January’s final.

The teenager, now 18, has gone on to win five more televised titles in 2025, including the Players’ Championship in Minehead on Sunday.

Littler and Humphries are on different sides of the draw and seeded to meet in the final again.

Of his first-round opponent Labanauskas, Littler said: “He’s not the quickest player but it’s all about getting past that first round

“Gary Anderson was the last player to go back to back (champion in 2015 and 2016) so I’m looking forward to trying to do that.”

The top 32 seeds enter in the first round this year, rather than the second, with the final taking place on Saturday, 3 January 2026.

The total of 128 players is up from 96 in 2024-25, with the winner taking home £1m – double what Littler picked up in January. The runner-up wins £400,000 from a total £5m prize fund.

The 32 seeds were joined by players ranked 33-64, and drawn at random into the left side of the draw against the remaining 64 qualifiers.

First-round matches will take place from Thursday 11 to Friday 19 December,

All second-round matches will take place from 20-23 December, with the third round beginning 27 December and the fourth round on 29-30 December.

The quarter-finals are on New Year’s Day, with the semi-finals a day later.