Luke Littler will start his World Darts Championship defence in opposition to Darius Labanauskas on Thursday December 11, reside on Sky Sports activities.
As is customary, the defending champion will play on the opening evening with the intriguing conflict between 2023 world champion Michael Smith and Lisa Ashton additionally on the billing for what is ready to be an enormous Thursday of motion.
Lithuania’s Labanauskas would be the first to try to derail Littler’s defence – one thing no participant has achieved on opening evening since 2009 when champion John Half fell to Invoice Davis.
Beau Greaves will get her marketing campaign underneath method on Friday December 19 in opposition to Daryl Gurney within the night session from 7pm, whereas final 12 months’s finalist Michael van Gerwen will get happening December 18 alongside the mouthwatering conflict between Fallon Sherrock and Dave Chisnall.
The 2024 world champion Luke Humphries begins his quest to regain the crown in opposition to Ted Evetts within the night session on Saturday December 13, with Gary Anderson enjoying within the afternoon session.
Gerwyn Worth begins his marketing campaign on Tuesday December 16, with Peter Wright in opposition to Noa-Lynn van Leuven on Monday December 15, and Stephen Bunting aiming for glory from Sunday December 14.
A bumper £5m prize pot is on supply at Alexandra Palace, with £1m going to the winner – the largest payday in darts historical past.
The expanded 2026 event sees everybody enter the competitors from the primary spherical as 128 gamers vie to get to the highest of the darting world.
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Luke Humphries says his arch-rival Luke Littler is in his personal league because the world primary and two gamers in darts put together for the World Championships in December.
Full schedule at Alexandra Palace from December 11 – January 3
Thursday December 11 (1900 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Kim Huybrechts v Arno Merk
Michael Smith v Lisa Ashton
Luke Littler v Darius Labanauskas
Madars Razma v Jamai van den Herik
Friday December 12
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Niels Zonneveld v Haupai Puha
Ian White v Mervyn King
Ryan Searle v Chris Landman
Rob Cross v Cor Dekker
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Ross Smith v Andreas Harrysson
Ricky Evans v Man Lok Leung
Gian van Veen v Cristo Reyes
Damon Heta v Steve Lennon
Saturday December 13
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Mario Vandenbogaerde v David Davies
Andrew Gilding v Cam Crabtree
Luke Woodhouse v Boris Krcmar
Gary Anderson v Adam Hunt
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Jeffrey de Graaf v Paul Lim
Wessel Nijman v Karel Sedlacek
Luke Humphries v Ted Evetts
Gabriel Clemens v Alex Spellman
Sunday December 14
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Ritchie Edhouse v Jonny Tata
Dom Taylor v Oskar Lukasiak
Richard Veenstra v Nitin Kumar
Joe Cullen v Bradley Brooks
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Lukas Wenig v Wesley Plaisier
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Darren Beveridge
Stephen Bunting v Sebastian Bialecki
James Hurrell v Stowe Buntz
Monday December 15
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Brendan Dolan v Tavis Dudeney
Cameron Menzies v Charlie Manby
Mensur Suljovic v David Cameron
Peter Wright v Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Martin Lukeman v Max Hopp
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Andy Baetens
Jonny Clayton v Adam Lipscombe
Connor Scutt v Simon Whitlock
Tuesday December 16
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Alan Soutar v Teemu Harju
Nick Kenny v Justin Hood
Scott Williams v Paolo Nebrida
Chris Dobey v Xiaochen Zong
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Ricardo Pietreczko v Jose de Sousa
Danny Noppert v Jurjen van der Velde
Gerwyn Worth v Adam Gawlas
Niko Springer v Joe Comito
Wednesday December 17 (1900 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Matt Campbell v Adam Sevada
Raymond van Barneveld v Stefan Bellmont
James Wade v Ryusei Azemoto
Martin Schindler v Stephen Burton
Thursday December 18
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Callan Rydz v Patrik Kovacs
Thibault Tricole v Motomu Sakai
Ryan Joyce v Owen Bates
Mike De Decker v David Munyua
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Jermaine Wattimena v Dominik Gruellich
Dave Chisnall v Fallon Sherrock
Michael van Gerwen v Mitsuhiko Tatsunami
Krzysztof Ratajski v Alexis Toylo
Friday December 19
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical One x4
Kevin Doets v Matthew Dennant
Ryan Meikle v Jesus Salate
Mickey Mansell v Leonard Gates
Josh Rock v Gemma Hayter
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical One x4
William O’Connor v Krzysztof Kciuk
Daryl Gurney v Beau Greaves
Nathan Aspinall v Lourence Ilagan
Keane Barry v Tim Pusey
Saturday December 20
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical Two x4
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical Two x4
Sunday December 21
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical Two x4
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical Two x4
Monday December 22
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical Two x4
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical Two x4
Tuesday December 23
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical Two x4
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical Two x4
Saturday December 27
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical Three x3
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical Three x3
Sunday December 28
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical Three x3
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical Three x3
Monday December 29
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical Three x3
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical Three x1, Spherical 4 x2
Tuesday December 30
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Spherical 4 x3
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Spherical 4 x3
Thursday January 1
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Quarter-Finals x2
Night Session (1900 GMT)
Quarter-Finals x2
Friday January 2 (1930 GMT)
Semi-Finals
Saturday January 3 (2000 GMT)
Ultimate
World Darts Championship format
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Talking on Love The Darts, Abigail Davies and Chris Murphy talk about Luke Litter’s rise to world primary and who can problem him on the World Championship.
A format change forward of this 12 months’s contest sees all gamers coming into the event on the first-round stage, whereas seeded gamers have beforehand been given a bye via to the subsequent spherical.
The World Championship makes use of the units format, with every set being the primary to 3 legs. The deciding set should be received by at the least two legs, so if it is 2-2 within the ultimate set, a participant should win 4-2 or 5-3. If it is 5-5, a sudden-death leg will happen with no throw for the bull, so the alteration of whoever throws first merely continues.
What’s the prize cash?
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Luke Humphries declared that he will conflict with Luke Littler on the World Darts Championship as the 2 shared some pleasant phrases after Littler’s Grand Slam of Darts win.
Effectively, you will need to have heard by now that there’s an almighty prize pot on supply for the World Darts Championship this time round, with the winner taking dwelling a stonking £1m.
The runner-up takes dwelling £400,000, with the semi-finalists incomes £200,000 and quarter-finalists £100,000.
For those who exit in spherical 4, then it’s a £60,000 payday, with spherical three bringing you £35,000, spherical two £25,000, and spherical one £15,000.
That may be a complete of £5m.
Prize Fund
Winner: £1,000,000
Runner-Up: £400,000
Semi-Finalists: £200,000
Quarter-Finalists: £100,000
Spherical 4 Losers: £60,000
Spherical Three Losers: £35,000
Spherical Two Losers: £25,000
Spherical One Losers: £15,000
Who will win the Paddy Energy World Darts Championship? Watch each match completely reside from December 11 to January 3 on Sky Sports activities’ devoted darts channel (Sky channel 407 from December 10). Stream darts and extra prime sport with NOW.
