Luke Littler has done it again, storming to his second consecutive PDC World Championship crown at Alexandra Palace with a crushing 7-1 demolition of Gian van Veen.
The 18-year-old sensation pocketed a massive £1million in prize money after his dominant display on Saturday night.
It’s worth noting that the winner’s cheque has doubled from last year’s £500,000, which had stayed the same since 2019.
Van Veen, who takes home £400,000 as runner-up, simply had no answer to Littler’s brilliance on the biggest stage in darts.
Luke Littler celebrated wildly after winning the World Championship
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The teenager wrapped up his victory in style, nailing a brilliant 147 checkout to seal the deal when he only needed one chance to finish the job.
Littler was visibly moved by his achievement, covering his face as the emotions took over following his remarkable triumph.
These two have history, of course – they last met in a final back in November 2023 when a 16-year-old Littler beat the Dutchman 6-4 in the World Youth Championship decider.
That was just before Littler’s first Ally Pally adventure, and now he’s conquered the venue twice in succession.
Van Veen’s journey to the final was impressive in its own right, with the 23-year-old becoming Dutch No. 1 and ending Michael van Gerwen’s 14-year reign at the top of Netherlands darts.
Luke Littler has become a two-time champion of the world
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But Littler is simply on another level right now – this was his seventh title from the last nine PDC ranked TV events.
Sky Sports Darts’ Wayne Mardle summed it up perfectly: “A lot is said about what this guy is capable of. He’s the holder of the World Championship, UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam and the Players Championship.”
The King of the Palace! 👑
Luke Littler gets his hands on the Sid Waddell trophy for the second time 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XkLkLD1ZFi
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) January 3, 2026
Speaking on his opponent, Littler said: “We are always going to have battles. The Pro Tour, Euro Tour, majors.
“Maybe we might come back here in the final in 2027! We will play so many times and he knows he’s in the Premier League, so we will battle week in, week out.”
Van Veen added: “With us two, Josh Rock and Wessel Nijman, the young boys are here. We are trying to take over the guard. Even Luke Humphries is a young guy.
“This game is for the young players and we are here to show how it’s done.”
The £1million prize is the most awarded to a World Championship winner and it comes as darts continues to grow and grow across the globe.
On the winnings, Littler said: “It is life-changing. Even for this tournament, the first round was doubled.
“This win has increased that gap from Luke Humphries and I’m in the clear for No. 1.
“I started playing better from the second set. The first set, I wasn’t happy going into the break but I had to kick on from there.
Luke Littler admitted the money prize is ‘life-changing’
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“I said to myself, ‘give it time, you will find it’. I started off from the left of the oche and moved over to the right. It all came to plan.
“Gian, what a tournament, he can be very happy. Every set he was there and behind me. I had to take my chances.
“You just can’t think of it too much. You have to keep going and I’ve done it.”
