Michael van Gerwen has officially confirmed he will represent the Netherlands at the upcoming World Cup of Darts, teaming up with compatriot Gian van Veen. The pairing, formed by the two highest-ranked Dutch players on the PDC Order of Merit, sees Van Gerwen (ranked 4) and Van Veen (ranked 3) join forces for the unique team event in Frankfurt.
Van Gerwen, who skipped the tournament in 2022, 2023, and 2025 but played with Danny Noppert in 2024, confirmed his participation to Viaplay. "Yes, I've already said so. We discussed it together," he stated, nodding to Van Veen beside him. "I'm going to play the World Cup this year." While Van Veen would be the team's number one strictly by rankings, Van Gerwen expressed eagerness for the partnership: "It will be our first time together. I'm really looking forward to it."
With this duo, the Netherlands rank among the outright favorites for the title. Only England, with world number one Luke Littler and world number two Luke Humphries, sits higher by seeding. Another dangerous pairing is Wales, featuring Jonny Clayton (ranked 5) and Gerwyn Price (ranked 10).
The Netherlands are chasing their first World Cup title since 2018. Recent editions have seen mixed results: Van Gerwen reached the semi-finals with Jermaine Wattimena in 2019 but fell in the quarter-finals with Danny Noppert in 2020 and Dirk van Duijvenbode in 2021. In Van Gerwen's absence, Noppert and Van Duijvenbode made the semi-finals in 2022 but lost in the second round in 2023. Van Gerwen's return with Noppert in 2024 ended in a second-round 8-2 defeat to Belgium, while Van Veen's debut with Noppert in 2025 reached the semi-finals.
For Van Gerwen, this represents a chance at a fifth World Cup title—his first without Raymond van Barneveld. For Van Veen, it would mean winning his first medal for the Netherlands. The pairing marks a significant shift for Dutch hopes, with the nation's recent results including winners in 2010, 2014, 2017, and 2018, but no titles since.
