Luke Littler’s rise to the top of the rankings in professional darts has been one of the most intriguing sports stories over the last couple of years.
The 18-year-old has defied logic in the sport, sweeping aside his rivals with a series of stunning performances since he arrived on the scene.
He made his big breakthrough at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship, clinching the title with a stylish 7-3 victory over Michael van Gerwen.
The oddsmakers at Spreadex Sports have tipped him to follow up that success in the latest edition of the tournament, which is currently being staged at the Alexandra Palace in London.
Littler has also been backed to finish top of the pile for tournament 180s, with a spread of 56-61 forecast to be his final tally.
However, while Littler is a worthy favourite to retain the title, his rivals will not make things easy for him. Read on as we assess whether anyone can topple Littler.
Luke Humphries
The world number two is desperate to win the world title for the second time in three years after being defeated by Littler in their last three television finals.
Humphries clinched the championship in 2024, but has struggled to keep pace with the teenage prodigy over the past few months.
His 16-11 defeat against Littler at the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton last month highlighted the current gap between the two players.
Humphries vowed to wrestle the world title back from Littler after that defeat and it would be no surprise if he achieved the feat.
Michael van Gerwen
Michael van Gerwen recently claimed he is ready to put his ‘worst year ever’ to bed by winning the world title for the fourth time.
The Dutchman’s triumph at the World Series Finals in September demonstrated that he still has the ability to compete with the top players on the planet.
He defeated Humphries and Josh Rock on his way to the final, before powering to an impressive 11-7 victory over Littler in Amsterdam.
While the break-up of Van Gerwen’s marriage has inevitably taken a toll on him, it would be foolish to underestimate his chances of winning another world championship.
Josh Rock
After enjoying a successful year on the PDC tour, Josh Rock believes he can crown things by clinching the world title for the first time in his career.
It would be fair to say that the Northern Irishman has not quite lived to up the early buzz he generated in darts, but he is now performing consistently.
Success alongside compatriot Daryl Gurney at the 2025 World Cup of Darts highlighted Rock’s ability to deliver in key moments.
He has reached three major semi-finals including the World Matchplay this season and could finally be ready to make his mark in the biggest tournament on the planet.
Gerwyn Price
The 2021 world champion could meet Littler in the quarter-finals and he will fancy his chances of knocking him off his perch if they meet.
Price has previously shown he has the game to beat Little, reeling off six consecutive victories over him from June 2024 to March 2025.
Although the Welshman has flattered to deceive this year, there have been spells when he has looked completely unplayable when everything clicks into gear.
If he can avoid becoming embroiled in unnecessary shenanigans with the Ally Pally crowd, Price could be the biggest threat to Littler’s chances of retaining the title.
Written by Michael Cage
