The World Cup of Darts started on Thursday, but England won’t play until Saturday in Frankfurt. The first seeds will enter the doubles competition in the Last 16 and will want to avoid defeat at this stage, as they did last year. 2025 was an embarrassment for the most successful nation to ever play in the World Cup of Darts, with the five-time champions losing in Round Two for the first time since 2020, their only previous second-round exit coming in the inaugural 2010 tournament.
Since Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis dominated this competition together, winning four of five titles with a runner-up in 2014, different pairs have tried for England. Only Michael Smith and Luke Humphries have won the title, winning in 2024. Since then, a story of runners-up, a semi-final and two quarter-final runs with Rob Cross appearing in both, suggesting a tricky campaign for the best darting nation. So, with just one win since Taylor’s absence after 2016, can the two best darts players in the world come together and win the 2026 edition?
Luke Littler is currently the best darts player in the world. Every major Littler has walked into in 2026, he has picked up the title. His most beaten player in the finals in 2026 has been Luke Humphries. Every metric shows Littler is operating at a higher level than Smith in 2024. His first 3 average sits at 115.35, 12.06 points higher than Smith’s 103.29 that kickstarted England’s legs. In finals, Littler has thrown an average of 106.01, with a high of 111.67 against his teammate at the O2 last month.
Luke Humphries has been the victim of Littler’s dominance in darts, losing 23 matches in 37 against him. But Humphries loves England. “No one's going to turn down playing for England. I would never turn it down in a million years, no matter how tired I was, how ill I was,” he told Online Darts. 2025 failed through this rivalry that wasn’t addressed. Chemistry failed, and they walked into the Eissporthalle expecting to win. 2026 is different. “We're fully aware that we're going to be massive favourites and everyone's going to expect us to win. But I feel like we have to take away that pressure and just go out and enjoy it,” Humphries told Online Darts. “Luke and I are up for it,” Luke Littler told Oche 180.
2025 can’t happen again for England. Humiliation, pain and booing. A German crowd backing their nation saw an 8-4 win, with England averaging a low 93.34. “Ricardo and Martin, they definitely played a good game with each other. Luke and I had a few good moments in the game, but we just didn't really bond on that stage,” Littler told Oche 180. Both players are averaging over 101 individually in 2026; the ability is not in question. The pair format requires chemistry and communication. The two Lukes have transcended from rivals to friends and have respect for each other. With the PDC lesson learnt, England couldn’t be more ready to win.
