Paddy Power World Darts Championship Final: Littler Needs to Prove too Hot To Handle
The 2026 Paddy Power World Darts Championship final sees Luke Littler lock horns with Gian van Veen. Racing Post tipster Aaron Ashley has a 9-2 bet home builder for the Alexandra Palace title decider
Paddy Power World Darts Championship, begin time & TV information
Date Saturday, January 3, 2026
Day 20 start time 8.15 pm.
Venue Alexandra Palace, London.
Competition PDC Tour.
TV Sky Sports
The battle to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy and pocket the ₤ 1m top prize has actually come down to the two most popular young prospects in the game as world top Luke Littler quotes to maintain his crown against devastating Dutchman Gian van Veen.
Littler, still just 18, is featuring in his third successive PDC World Championship final and it promises to be an absolute legendary as he handles 23-year-old Van Veen, who has shown his class in conquering 2 previous Alexandra Palace champs in Luke Humphries and Gary Anderson.
Paddy Power World Darts Championship final bet contractor
Luke Littler -1.5 sets
A 180 in every set
A 170 checkout in the match
Price guide: 9-2
Paddy Power World Darts Championship final forecasts
Luke Littler -2.5 sets on the handicap.
2pts Evs general
Luke Littler vs Gian van Veen
Luke Littler and Gian van Veen will lock horns in a pulsating World Championship last and their Alexandra Palace title showdown might indicate a changing of the guard.
Littler has actually become just the second gamer after Phil Taylor to make the World Championship final in his first three looks in the competitors and he knows exactly what it requires to make history having triumphed on this big stage 12 months ago at the age of 17.
Rising Dutch force Van Veen is breaking brand-new ground and should the 23-year-old upstage darting super star Littler he would become the second-youngest world champion in history.
This could be the first significant chapter in a rivalry to match a few of the greatest ever tungsten tussles and there is no factor to expect anything aside from fireworks.
Littler has dropped simply three sets on his way to the last and the only time he failed to strike a 100 average can be found in a routine 3-0 victory over David Davies in the 2nd round.
The Nuke's 6-1 semi-final success over Ryan Searle saw him rack up ten 180s and publish an average of 105.35, so Van Veen will need to be at his fantastic finest to remain competitive.
The Dutchman powered previous 2024 world champion Luke Humphries 6-1 in the quarter-final, balancing 105.41, while his 6-3 triumph over Gary Anderson in the last 4 was strengthened by approximately 102.99.
Since losing to Littler on the planet Youth Championship last in 2023, Van Veen has actually won 3 of their 5 meetings and in their last three encounters he has actually averaged in excess of 100.
There is no reason to think that the ought to blink despite the most significant reward of them all being on the line, but dealing with Littler's outrageous bursts will prove his toughest challenge yet.
The Nuke raises his level when put under severe pressure and the probability of a free-flowing, maximum-heavy clash makes the defending champion hard to consist of.
Littler defeated Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in last season's last and, with the potential for Van Veen's requirements to slip, the teenage terror should have the ability to mark his authority with another commanding success.
The defending champion won 6 of the 8 significant telecasted tournaments in 2025 and he constantly seems to produce the outrageous when it matters most.
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Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2026 FAQs
When is the 2026 Paddy Power World Darts Championship?
The 2026 Paddy Power World Darts Championship will take location from Thursday December 11, 2025, to Saturday, January 3, 2026.
Where is the 2026 Paddy Power World Darts Championship being held?
The occasion will be held at Alexandra Palace in London.
Who is the favourite to win the 2026 Paddy Power World Darts Championship?
2025 champ Luke Littler is the 2-5 preferred to retain his title.
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