The world No. 53 suffered a double fracture in his right shoulder after being set upon at a football match by hooligans with his wife issuing an emotional update
Abbie Meehan Sports Writer U-35s
10:33, 11 Dec 2025
The Belgian darts star was left on the ground in agony(Image: Alex Burstow/Getty Images)
Kim Huybrechts returns to the World Darts Championship stage this week as he takes on Arno Merk in the first round.
The Belgian darts star will hope for the Ally Pally crowd to be on his side as he appears at the iconic venue a year on from his traumatic attack at a football match. Huybrechts was forced to undergo surgery on a broken shoulder in May last year after a cup final game in his home country between Royal Antwerp and Union Saint-Gilloise.
The Hurricane is a fan of Antwerp and was making his way home after witnessing his side’s 1-0 defeat in the Belgian Cup at the King Baudouin Stadium in May 2024. However, Huybrechts and a friend were attacked by rival supporters during their journey through Brussels.
Kim Huybrechts was beaten up by rival football fans(Image: X/@VVGenechten2)
According to the darts star’s wife, Dana Verhaegen, friend Kevin was attacked with a motorcycle helmet and Huybrechts was tackled to the ground as he tried to escape.
The 40-year-old was punched and kicked, before eventually making his exit to where the Antwerp supporters buses were, where help was found.
The world No.53 was rushed to hospital where he found out he had a double fracture in his right shoulder – a particularly worrying sign as it was his throwing arm. Huybrechts’ wife took to social media to update fans, as she said: “As many have already heard, things went seriously wrong today during the cup final.
Kim Huybrechts suffered a double fracture of the shoulder(Image: Facebook)
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“In a nutshell: Match end, Antwerp supporters walking along a path through a park in a crowd towards the buses. The line gets stuck due to the grim atmosphere.
“Kim and Kevin want to pass the line through an opening in the fence to get to the buses faster and are attacked from behind. Verdict: while Kim lay on the ground and took punches, he suffered a double fracture of the collarbone, unfortunately in his right arm.”
Fans were left worried that Huybrechts may not be able to compete at the World Cup of Darts in June of that year due to his injuries.
However, the Belgian recovered well and made it all the way to the semi-finals alongside Dimitri Van den Bergh.
He also appeared at the World Darts Championship but exited in the first round against Keane Barry with a score of 3-1.
Now, the Hurricane is ready to take on Arno Merk as he bids to make it past the quarter-finals of the World Championship – his best result to date.
