Luke Littler made history on Friday by becoming the youngest darts world champion at just 17 years old. The English teenager defeated three-time champion Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in a thrilling final at the Alexandra Palace in London.
“I’ve always dreamed of holding this trophy,” said Littler, who also earned the winner’s prize of £500,000 ($620,000). “I can’t believe it.”
Littler’s rise has been meteoric. From a young age, he showed remarkable talent, first picking up a dart at just 18 months old. He was the junior world champion in 2023 and reached the world final at 16, where he lost to top-ranked Luke Humphries.
This made him a household name, drawing attention to darts and reviving interest in the sport similar to its golden era in the 1980s.
Despite the immense pressure, Littler returned to the final the following year and dominated Van Gerwen, a three-time world champion, by going 4-0 up in sets.
The Dutchman fought back, narrowing the score to 4-1, then 5-2, and 6-3, but Littler remained unstoppable. As he hit the winning double, he was overcome with emotion and reduced to tears.
“Wow, wow, wow,” Littler was heard saying as the moment sank in.
Reflecting on his win, Littler later admitted, “At 2-0 up, I started feeling nervous, but I told myself to relax.” He described the experience as “special” once he secured the victory.
Van Gerwen, who had previously held the record as the youngest world champion in the Professional Darts Corporation, having won the 2014 final at 24, praised Littler’s achievement. Jelle Klaasen, who won the now-defunct British Darts Organisation world title in 2006 at age 21, was another notable early champion.
While the loss stung, Van Gerwen acknowledged Littler’s talent, saying, “Every 17 years, a star is born, and he is one of them.”
With Littler’s triumph at 17, the question now arises: could he potentially match or even surpass Phil Taylor’s extraordinary record of 16 world titles? This victory certainly accelerates that possibility.
John Part, a three-time world champion from Canada, spoke highly of Luke Littler ahead of the world championship, noting that Littler is not just a skilled dart player but a born winner. “He’s excelled at every age level he’s competed in, always knowing how to win, and he’s incredibly comfortable with it. He doesn’t feel any pressure,” Part said when discussing Littler’s potential to challenge Phil Taylor’s record of 16 world titles.
