Luke Littler secured his second consecutive PDC World Darts Championship title with a comprehensive 7-1 victory over Gian van Veen at Alexandra Palace. The 18-year-old Englishman, who became the youngest world champion in history last year, took just over 40 minutes to dismantle his Dutch opponent.
Van Veen, who had the only winning head-to-head record against Littler in 2025, started strongly by taking the first set. However, the teenager responded with a dominant surge, winning seven straight sets. Van Veen averaged 100.0 with 38% on doubles, but described the pressure applied by Littler as 'different' to that of other top players.
Littler's tournament averages were consistently high: 102, 97, 107, 107, 100, 105 and 106. He hit 16 180s during the final and almost one-fifth of his visits ended with three trebles. Although he did not achieve a nine-dart finish, he recorded a 147 checkout to clinch the match and the £1m prize – the largest in darts history.
After the match, an emotional Littler leaned on the drinks table and cried. He acknowledged feeling unstoppable on stage at times. The victory consolidates his status as a global phenomenon, with the sport attracting younger audiences due to his popularity.
Littler now targets the World Masters later this month and the European Championship in October, the two remaining major titles he has yet to win. Phil Taylor's record of 16 world titles remains a distant goal, but Littler continues to set new benchmarks in the sport.
