When is the World Cup of Darts 2026 and which players are competing?
04-06-2026
Shortest answer: The 2026 World Cup of Darts takes place from 11 to 14 June at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt. 40 nations compete in pairs for the title and a £500,000 prize pool. England fields Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, the Netherlands play Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen, and host nation Germany lines up Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko.
The World Cup of Darts is the only major PDC tournament where nations compete in pairs. Each country selects its two highest-ranked players on the PDC Order of Merit. Below you’ll find every participating nation, their pairings, the tournament format and the favourites.
When and where is the 2026 World Cup of Darts?
The sixteenth edition of the tournament runs from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 June 2026 at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt. It’s the second time Frankfurt has hosted. Thursday features only an evening session; the remaining days have both an afternoon and an evening session.
Which players represent England?
England fields Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, the world numbers 1 and 2. Reigning world champion Littler captured his second world title in early 2026, while Humphries remains a constant at the top of the rankings. Last year, the duo were dumped out in the second round by Germany in front of a hostile Frankfurt crowd. With both players in red-hot form, England enters 2026 as one of the main favourites and is seeded second, entering directly at the last 16.
Which pairs do the other top nations field?
The top four nations on the PDC Order of Merit skip the group stage and enter at the last 16:
England: Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. The world numbers 1 and 2, chasing a record-extending sixth English title.
Netherlands: Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen. A new pairing aiming for the first Dutch title since 2018.
Northern Ireland: Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney. Defending champions after their 10-9 win over Wales in 2025.
Scotland: Gary Anderson and Cameron Menzies. Menzies makes his World Cup debut. Two-time world champion Peter Wright misses out as Menzies now ranks higher.
Which nations are seeded in the group stage?
The nations ranked 5 to 16 are seeded as group heads and start in the group stage:
• Germany (5th): Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko, hosts
• Belgium (6th): Mike De Decker and Dimitri Van den Bergh
• Wales (7th): Jonny Clayton and debutant Nick Kenny, without Gerwyn Price
• Republic of Ireland (8th): William O’Connor and Mickey Mansell
• Poland (9th): Krzysztof Ratajski and Sebastian Bialecki
• Sweden (10th): Jeffrey de Graaf and Oskar Lukasiak
• Australia (11th): Damon Heta and Adam Leek
• Czechia (12th): Karel Sedlacek and Adam Gawlas
• Austria (13th): Mensur Suljovic and Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
• Latvia (14th): Madars Razma and Valters Melderis
• Croatia (15th): Boris Krcmar and Pero Ljubic
• Finland (16th): Jani Haavisto and Jonas Masalin
The most notable absentee is Gerwyn Price. The Welshman chose to spend the week with his family and is replaced by debutant Nick Kenny.
Which other nations are competing?
The remaining 24 nations start unseeded in the group stage: Canada (Jim Long and David Cameron), China (Qingyu Zhan and Xiaochen Zong), Denmark (Andreas Toft Jorgensen and Jonas Graversen), France (Thibault Tricole and Nicolas Thuillier), Hong Kong (Man Lok Leung and Lok Yin Lee), Hungary (Patrik Kovacs and Pal Szekely), India (Nitin Kumar and Ankit Goenka), Italy (Michele Turetta and Riccardo Castelli), Japan (Motomu Sakai and Haruki Muramatsu), Lithuania (Darius Labanauskas and Mindaugas Barauskas), Mongolia, New Zealand (Jonny Tata and Ben Robb), Norway (Cor Dekker and Kent Sivertsen), Philippines (Alexis Toylo and Paolo Nebrida), Portugal (Luis Camacho and Jose de Sousa), Singapore (Paul Lim and Phuay Wey Tan), Slovenia, South Africa (Graham Filby and Devon Petersen), Spain (Cristo Reyes and Jose Justicia), Switzerland (Stefan Bellmont and Marcel Walpen), Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and the United States (Adam Sevada and Stowe Buntz).
Mongolia, Trinidad and Tobago and Uganda are all making their World Cup debut. Slovenia returns for the first time since the inaugural edition in 2010.
How does the tournament work?
The 36 unseeded nations are drawn into 12 groups of three. Group-stage matches are played as best-of-7 legs. Only the group winner advances. The twelve qualifiers join the four seeded nations to form a 16-team bracket.
From the second round onwards, the format changes. The last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals are played as best-of-15 legs; the final goes to best-of-19. The total prize pool is £500,000. The winners share £100,000, the runners-up receive £50,000.
Who are the defending champions and the favourites?
Northern Ireland defend the title after their 10-9 final win over Wales in 2025. For 2026, the Netherlands, England and host nation Germany are seen as the main contenders. England and the Netherlands field the strongest pairings on paper; Germany play in front of a home crowd after last year’s semi-final run. Scotland are considered outsiders.
How many times has England won the World Cup of Darts?
England has won the World Cup of Darts a record five times, more than any other nation. Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis claimed four of those titles between 2010 and 2016, dominating the early years of the tournament. England’s fifth title came in 2024 with Michael Smith and Luke Humphries. With Littler and Humphries now forming arguably the strongest pairing in the field, England is well-placed to chase a sixth title in Frankfurt.
