The World Darts Championship begins on 11 December this year. As last year, 128 players will take to the stage at Alexandra Palace, where they will compete for the coveted Sid Waddell Trophy. But which players have already secured their place at the World Championship, and who still has plenty of work to do in the coming weeks to qualify? This article lists all the players who have qualified so far and looks at the remaining events that could shape the field.

The top 40 in the world rankings qualify automatically for the World Championship. The 40 highest-ranked players on the Pro Tour Order of Merit also qualify, provided they are not already among the top 40 in the world rankings. That accounts for 80 of the 128 places. The remaining 48 spots will be awarded through various qualifying events held around the world.

Littler, Humphries, Price lead the way

Luke Littler leads the world rankings. The 19-year-old Englishman has developed into the undisputed number one in darts in recent years and heads into the new World Championship as the two-time defending champion. Littler impressed again in 2026, winning an impressive collection of major titles and showing that he remains extremely difficult to stop. It is no surprise that he is once again considered the leading contender for the title at Alexandra Palace.

The World Championship will once again be a major occasion for Littler. He will have the chance to defend his title and further cement his place in darts history. Despite his young age, he has already built an impressive record. His rivals, however, will do everything they can to prevent the Englishman from lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy again.

Behind Littler, the world rankings feature plenty of familiar names. Among those include Gian van Veen who is second seed. Van Veen enjoyed a memorable campaign at last year’s event, reaching the final. He ultimately had to settle for second place behind Luke Littler, but his performances at Alexandra Palace confirmed his place among the world’s elite.

Gerwyn Price is in fourth going into Ally Pally, while Jonny Clayton rounds out the top five. Ross Smith has won plenty of accolades this years sealing two out of three of the recent major titles and is in 6th spot. While James Wade, Nathan Aspinall, Josh Rock, Wessel Nijman all but complete the top 10 in front of Michael van Gerwen.

Michael van Gerwen hopes to bounce back

Just outside the top ten is Michael van Gerwen. The three-time world champion is currently ranked 11th, making him a notable name on the list. For years, “Mighty Mike” was the undisputed world number one, but a new generation of top players has since gained ground on him.

Van Gerwen endured a difficult year and did not always reach his usual level. In the past, he started almost every tournament as one of the leading favourites. Now, he more often has to watch his back in the world rankings. Even so, the Dutchman remains a player to take seriously. His experience, scoring power and impressive record make him dangerous against any opponent.

The World Darts Championship could be the ideal opportunity for Van Gerwen to make a statement. He has won the title three times at Alexandra Palace and knows better than most what it takes to perform at the highest level. Based on his 2026 results, however, a fourth world title looks like a particularly difficult task. Still, nobody will want to rule him out completely when he takes to the stage at the year’s biggest tournament.

PDC Order of Merit top 40

Ranking	Name	Prize money
1	Luke Littler	2932.5
2	Gian van Veen	1036.25
3	Luke Humphries	918.5
4	Gerwyn Price	835.5
5	Jonny Clayton	722
6	Ross Smith	679
7	James Wade	660
8	Nathan Aspinall	594
9	Josh Rock	593
10	Wessel Nijman	585.75
11	Michael van Gerwen	583
12	Stephen Bunting	582.5
13	Danny Noppert	566
14	Ryan Searle	563.75
15	Chris Dobey	553.5
16	Luke Woodhouse	512
17	Gary Anderson	507.75
18	Krzysztof Ratajski	495.25
19	Jermaine Wattimena	474
20	Martin Schindler	455.75
21	Damon Heta	419.5
22	Kevin Doets	405.75
23	Dirk van Duijvenbode	394.75
24	Rob Cross	378
25	Ryan Joyce	363.25
26	Cameron Menzies	362
27	Andrew Gilding	349.5
28	Niels Zonneveld	325.25
29	William O'Connor	288.25
30	Dave Chisnall	280.25
31	Daryl Gurney	279.5
32	Joe Cullen	273.25
33	Niko Springer	253.75
34	Mike De Decker	224.25
35	Ricardo Pietreczko	223
36	Peter Wright	220
37	Michael Smith	211
38	Karel Sedlacek	201.25
39	Justin Hood	198.5
40	Callan Rydz	193.25

Reyes and Greaves lead the way

In addition to the world’s top 40, the 40 highest-ranked players on the Pro Tour Order of Merit can also qualify for the World Darts Championship. This applies to players who have not already earned a place through the world rankings. The list also features some notable names, with Cristo Reyes the standout.

The Spaniard leads the Pro Tour Order of Merit, an impressive achievement. Reyes regained his PDC Tour Card only this year, after several seasons away. He has made excellent use of his return, quickly establishing himself among the circuit’s top players.

Beau Greaves also deserves special mention. The Englishwoman is currently the only female player with a PDC Tour Card and has impressed against the male professionals. Greaves has already won a Players Championship title this year. Her fourth place on the Pro Tour Order of Merit caps a superb season and underlines once again that she can compete with established names at the highest PDC level.

As well as Greaves, the top 10 currently also includes Charlie Manby and Jeffrey de Graaf. Familiar names outside the top 10 include Mensur Suljovic, Max Hopp, James Hurrell and Scott Williams.

Tommy Morris is in 30th despite the fact that he's not a Tour Card holder and he has already qualified through the Challenge Tour. Raymond van Barneveld teeters on the edge in 40th and faces an uphill battle to even qualify. While Michael Smith and Peter Wright might not qualify if they fall out the top 40.

Pro Tour Order of Merit top 40

Ranking	Name	Prize money
1	Cristo Reyes	101.25
2	Sebastian Bialecki	91.5
3	Kim Huybrechts	83.75
4	Beau Greaves	77.5
5	Jeffrey de Graaf	76.25
6	Maik Kuivenhoven	70.25
7	Richard Veenstra	62.5
8	Charlie Manby	61.5
9	Mickey Mansell	59.5
10	Tom Bissell	58
11	Tom Sykes	57.25
12	Brendan Dolan	56
13	Gabriel Clemens	56
14	Keane Barry	55.25
15	Mensur Suljovic	55.25
16	Max Hopp	54.75
17	Rob Owen	54
18	Bradley Brooks	51
19	James Hurrell	50
20	Connor Scutt	48.5
21	Madars Razma	46.25
22	Joe Hunt	46
23	Alan Soutar	44.25
24	Darius Labanauskas	43
25	Ritchie Edhouse	42.5
26	Scott Williams	41.25
27	Christian Kist	41
28	Darryl Pilgrim	40.25
29	Mario Vandenbogaerde	39.5
30	Tommy Morris	39.25
31	Jimmy van Schie	38.75
32	Ian White	37.25
33	Jim Long	36.25
34	Lukas Wenig	35.75
35	Alexander Merkx	33.75
36	Adam Gawlas	33
37	David Sharp	32.5
38	Owen Bates	32
39	Wesley Plaisier	31.75
40	Raymond van Barneveld	31.75

England remains the best-represented nation, with plenty of Germans also set for the World Championship

England remains the leading source of players for the upcoming World Darts Championship. Alexandra Palace will once again welcome an international field, but the gap between England and the other nations is considerable. No fewer than 37 English players have already secured a place at the world’s biggest darts tournament. England is therefore comfortably the best-represented nation at the World Championship.

Many of those English players qualified through the world rankings or the Pro Tour Order of Merit. Thirty English players feature in the top 40 across the two lists.

Seven more English players have qualified through other routes: Cam Crabtree, Archie Self, Beau Greaves, Fallon Sherrock, Lisa Ashton, Gemma Hayter and Carl Wilson. They earned their places by other means, bringing the English contingent to a current total of 37 players.

World rankings	Pro Tour Order of Merit
1. Luke Littler	4. Beau Greaves
3. Luke Humphries	8. Charlie Manby
6. Ross Smith	10. Tom Bissell
7. James Wade	11. Tom Sykes
8. Nathan Aspinall	17. Rob Owen
14. Ryan Searle	18. Bradley Brooks
15. Chris Dobey	19. James Hurrell
16. Luke Woodhouse	20. Connor Scutt
24. Rob Cross	22. Joe Hunt
25. Ryan Joyce	25. Ritchie Edhouse
27. Andrew Gilding	26. Scott Williams
30. Dave Chisnall	28. Darryl Piglrim
32. Joe Cullen	30. Tommy Morris
37. Michael Smith	31. Ian White
40. Callan Rydz	38. Owen Bates

Germany also traditionally attracts plenty of interest at the World Darts Championship. German fans turn out in large numbers at Alexandra Palace every year and will once again have several compatriots to support.

Seven German players have already secured places at the World Championship. Three qualified through the world’s top 40. Another three Germans are in the top 40 of the Pro Tour Order of Merit, earning them direct places at Alexandra Palace.

Daniel Klose is a notable name in the German contingent. He finished fourth on the Challenge Tour and will also be making his World Championship debut.

There could be more to come for Germany. The winner of the German Super League will also earn a place at the World Championship, giving the German contingent a chance to grow further.

World rankings	Pro Tour Order of Merit
20. Martin Schindler	13. Gabriel Clemens
33. Niko Springer	16. Max Hopp
35. Ricardo Pietreczko	34. Lukas Wenig

The international qualifiers

Besides the players who qualify directly through the world rankings and Pro Tour Order of Merit, 48 places are available through international qualifying events. Many have already been allocated, but several qualifiers remain in the coming weeks. The field could therefore still change considerably.

The Netherlands has already gained two more representatives. Jurjen van der Velde and Jamai van den Herik both qualified through the Development Tour, bringing the provisional Dutch total to 17. That makes the Netherlands the second-best-represented nation at Alexandra Palace, behind England.

That total could rise further in the coming weeks. The qualifier for Belgian and Dutch players takes place on 14 November, giving players from both countries another chance to earn a World Championship place. The Tour Card Holder Qualifier also offers an opportunity. Dutch and Belgian players can still secure a place in the sport’s annual showpiece through that event.

The women’s field is also taking shape. Five women will compete at this year’s World Championship. Beau Greaves, Lisa Ashton, Gemma Hayter and Fallon Sherrock had already qualified. Vicky Pruim completes the line-up.

It will be a special occasion for Pruim, who was born in Belgium and will make her Alexandra Palace stage debut. She now represents Sweden and has also secured a place among the world’s top players.

Event	Date	Position	Qualifier
PDC World Youth Championship	29 November	Winner
PDC Development Tour	20 February – 4 October	Runner-up	Jurjen van der Velde (NED)
		Third place	Cam Crabtree (ENG)
		Fourth place	Jamai van den Herik (NED)
PDC Challenge Tour	16 January – 27 September	Runner-up	Derek Coulson (WAL)
		Fourth place	Daniel Klose (GER)
		Fifth place	Archie Self (ENG)
Women's World Matchplay	26 July	Winner	Beau Greaves (ENG)
PDC Women's Series	7 February – 11 October	Runner-up	Lisa Ashton (ENG)
		Third place	Fallon Sherrock (ENG)
		Fourth place	Gemma Hayter (ENG)
		Fifth place	Vicky Pruim (SWE)
Steel Tour Japan	5 May – 23 September	Winner	Motomu Sakai (JPN)
PDC China Championship	2 November	Winner	(CHN)
IDC Indian Qualifier	2–4 October	Winner	Nitin Kumar (IND)
PDC Asian Championship	14 September	Winner	Paolo Nebrida (PHI)
		Runner-up	Kam Weng Cheng (MAC)
PDC Asian Tour	24 January – 13 September	Winner	Ryuta Arihara (JPN)
	Christian Perez (PHI)	Third place	Christian Perez (PHI)
	Haruki Muramatsu (JPN)	Fourth place	Haruki Muramatsu (JPN)
	Lok Yin Lee (HKG)	Fifth place	Lok Yin Lee (HKG)
		Seventh place	Man Lok Leung (HKG)
PDCE Netherlands & Belgium Qualifier	14 November	Winner
PDCE Mediterranean Qualifier	6–8 November	Winner
PDCE South-East Europe Qualifier	28 November	Winner
PDCE Czechia Qualifier	29 November	Winner	(CZE)
PDO Polish Qualifier	13 November	Winner	(POL)
PDCE DACH Super League	10–13 November	Winner
Hungarian Super League	7 March – 31 October	Winner	(HUN)
PDC UK&IRE TCH & AM Qualifier	28 September	Winner	Carl Wilson (ENG)
PDC North American Championship	26 June	Winner	Adam Sevada (USA)
CDC Continental Cup	6–7 November	Winner
CDC Cross-Border Challenge	17–18 April	Winner	David Cameron (CAN)
CDC Pro Tour	8 May – 18 October	Highest-ranked American	Fred Krueger (USA)
		Highest-ranked Canadian	Brayden Hall (CAN)
CDLC Tour	23 April – 26 July	Winner	Jesús Salate (ARG)
PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship	6–8 November	Winner
PDCNB Pro Tour	7 February – 27 September	Winner	Daniel Larsson (SWE)
		Runner-up	Cor Dekker (NOR)
ANZ Premier League	26 September – 31 October	Winner	Raymond Smith (AUS)
ADA Tour	20 February – 13 September	Winner	Brody Klinge (AUS)
DPNZ Pro Tour	14 February – 6 September	Winner	Ben Robb (NZL)
Trans-Tasman Championship	30 August	Winner	Mal Cuming (AUS)
African Darts Group – Northern Africa Qualifier	20 September	Winner	David Munyua (KEN)
African Darts Group – Southern Africa Qualifier	1 November	Winner
PDC Tour Card Holder Qualifier	30 November	1
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Van den Bergh, Evans and others are currently missing

Despite the large number of players who have already secured a place at the World Darts Championship, several familiar names are still outside the field. Two notable absentees are currently outside the world’s top 64 and risk missing the annual darts celebration at Alexandra Palace.

One of them is Ricky Evans. The Englishman is currently 48th in the world rankings and is a familiar face at the World Championship. Known for his lightning-fast throw and colourful outfits, Evans has reached the last 32 at Alexandra Palace seven times. His place in the upcoming edition, however, is not yet secure.

Dimitri Van den Bergh’s situation is even more striking. The Belgian, a two-time major winner, is enduring a particularly difficult season and is even at risk of losing his PDC Tour Card. His chances of qualifying for the World Championship are limited. The Tour Card Holder Qualifier is his only remaining opportunity to earn a place at Alexandra Palace.

Several other well-known players outside the top 64 are also missing from the provisional field. Nick Kenny, Martin Lukeman, Thibault Tricole, Ryan Meikle, Jeffrey de Zwaan and Mervyn King are among those in danger of missing the World Championship. All have appeared on darts’ biggest stage several times in the past.

Even the legendary Paul Lim will not be there this year. The 72-year-old Singaporean, nicknamed “The Singapore Slinger”, failed to qualify through the Asian Tour. One of the sport’s most iconic names could therefore miss the upcoming World Championship.

Conclusion

Many players have already secured places at the World Darts Championship, but the battle for the remaining spots is still under way. Some of the field have begun preparing for the annual showpiece at Alexandra Palace. They can look ahead to the tournament with confidence, while a tense few weeks await others.

The coming weeks will be crucial. Every match could decide whether a player gets to compete on darts’ biggest stage or faces a winter without the World Championship. The final qualifying events could also produce surprises, giving lesser-known names a chance to step into the spotlight.

For some, it is already time to pack for London. Others still have plenty to do to keep their World Championship dream alive.