The biggest match in world darts takes place this evening as Luke Littler defends his World Championship crown against Gian van Veen at Alexandra Palace.
It’s a clash that promises fireworks, with the teenage sensation looking to cement his status as the sport’s dominant force.
Standing in his way is the 23-year-old Dutchman, who has already made clear exactly what he thinks of his English rival ahead of their showdown on the sport’s grandest stage.
Littler has been virtually unstoppable in his title defence, surrendering just three sets on his journey to Saturday’s finale.
Gian van Veen will take on Luke Littler for the world title tonight
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The Nuke has transformed darts since his breakthrough Ally Pally final appearance two years ago, returning last year to claim his maiden world title – surely the first of many.
Van Veen has enjoyed his own meteoric rise, overcoming personal challenges to become the Netherlands’ top-ranked player and climb to world number three.
Now he’ll be hoping to pull off the upset on the sport’s biggest stage.
Van Veen secured his maiden major trophy back in October, defeating Luke Humphries in a thrilling European Championship final.
Gian van Veen reached the final after a pulsating clash against Gary Anderson
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When asked about comparisons to Littler following that victory, the Dutchman showed enormous respect for his world final opponent.
“It’s nice to be mentioned in the same sentence as Luke Littler,” Van Veen said. “But what he’s done in the past two years is phenomenal. I don’t want to compare myself to him. If I did, I’d be crying in bed all week!”
Van Veen also praised Littler’s ability to deliver when it matters most.
“He performs under pressure every week and that’s why he’s number two in the world and probably soon number one,” the Dutchman said.
“Of course, I want to be there too, but I’m not in a rush. We’ll see what happens.”
It’s that mental strength that has made Littler such a formidable opponent, and van Veen knows he’ll need something special to dethrone the defending champion this afternoon.
Luke Littler powered into his third consecutive PDC World Championship final on Friday evening | GETTY
With van Veen’s impressive climb up the rankings during this tournament, these two are destined to cross paths far more regularly in the months ahead.
The Dutchman’s world number three ranking guarantees him a spot in the Premier League should he choose to accept it.
That 17-week competition kicks off in early February, with the top four players automatically entered.
It means fans can look forward to plenty more battles between these two rising stars of the sport throughout 2026.
