The full draw for the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship has been confirmed, setting the stage for a thrilling tournament at London's Alexandra Palace next month. Reigning champion Luke Littler now knows his first hurdle in the quest to retain the coveted Sid Waddell Trophy.
Littler's Road to Glory Begins
Luke Littler, the teenage darts phenomenon, will commence his title defence against Lithuania's number one, Darius Labanauskas. The draw, conducted on Monday afternoon, pits the 18-year-old champion against an experienced opponent in what promises to be a captivating opening match.
Since his spectacular victory over Michael van Gerwen in January to become the 2025 world champion, Littler's ascent has been remarkable. The Warrington-born star has secured an impressive haul of major titles, including the UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts, and Players Championship Finals. His formidable form was further cemented last week when he leapfrogged Luke Humphries to become the new world number one.
Key First-Round Clashes Announced
While all eyes are on Littler, the draw has produced several other intriguing first-round ties. World number two Luke Humphries will face Ted Evetts, while three-time champion Michael van Gerwen takes on Japan's Mitsohiko Tatsunami.
In another standout fixture, Beau Greaves is set for a tough encounter against former major winner Daryl Gurney. The expanded tournament format ensures a packed schedule of 64 first-round matches, offering plenty of drama from the outset at the iconic Alexandra Palace.
The Full First-Round Draw
The complete list of first-round fixtures for the PDC World Darts Championship is as follows:
- Luke Littler v Darius Labanauskas
- Mario Vandenbogaerde v David Davies
- Joe Cullen v Bradley Brooks
- Mensur Suljovic v David Cameron
- Damon Heta v Steve Lennon
- Raymond van Barneveld v Stefan Bellmont
- Rob Cross v Cor Dekker
- Ian White v Mervyn King
- Chris Dobey v Xiaochen Zong
- Andrew Gilding v Cam Crabtree
- Luke Woodhouse v Boris Krcmar
- Martin Lukeman v Max Hopp
- Gerwyn Price v Adam Gawlas
- Lukas Wenig v Wesley Plaisier
- Ryan Joyce v Owen Bates
- Krzysztof Ratajski v Alexis Toylo
- Stephen Bunting v Sebastian Bialecki
- Richard Veenstra v Nitin Kumar
- Dirk van Duijvenbode v Andy Baetens
- James Hurrell v Stowe Buntz
- Martin Schindler v Stephen Burton
- Keane Barry v Tim Pusey
- Ryan Searle v Chris Landman
- Brendan Dolan v Travis Dudeney
- Jonny Clayton v Adam Lipscombe
- Dom Taylor v Oskar Lukasiak
- Michael Smith vs Lisa Ashton
- Niels Zonneveld v Haupai Puha
- Ross Smith v Andreas Harrysson
- Thibault Tricole v Motomu Sakai
- Dave Chisnall v Fallon Sherrock
- Ricardo Pietreczko v Jose De Sousa
- Luke Humphries v Ted Evetts
- Jeffrey de Graaf v Paul Lim
- Wessel Nijman v Karel Sedlacek
- Mickey Mansell v Leonard Gates
- Mike De Decker v David Munyua
- Kevin Doets v Matthew Dennant
- James Wade v Ryusei Azemoto
- Rickey Evans v Man Lok Leung
- Cameron Menzies v Charlie Manby
- Matt Campbell v Adam Sevada
- Gian van Veen v Cristo Reyes
- Alan Soutar v Teemu Harju
- Dimitir Van den Bergh v Darren Beveridge
- Madars Razma v Jamai van den Herik
- Michael van Gerwen v Mitsohiko Tatsunami
- William O'Connor v Krzysztof Kciuk
- Peter Wright v Noa-Lynn van Leuven
- Kim Huybrechtes v Arno Merk
- Gary Anderson v Adam Hunt
- Connor Scutt v Simon Whitlock
- Jermaine Wattimena v Dominik Gruellich
- Scott Williams v Paolo Nebrida
- Danny Noppert v Jurjen van der Velde
- Nick Kenny v Justin Hood
- Ritchie Edhouse v Jonny Tata
- Ryan Meikle v Jesus Salate
- Josh Rock v Gemma Hayter
- Niko Springer v Joe Comito
- Daryl Gurney v Beau Greaves
- Callan Rydz v Patrik Kovacs
With the path now clear, the darts world eagerly anticipates the start of what promises to be another unforgettable chapter in the sport's history at Alexandra Palace.
