2026 PDC World Cup of Darts
Darts tournament
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026 PDC World Cup of Darts (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2026 BetVictor World Cup of Darts) is a professional darts tournament that is taking place from 11 to 14 June 2026 at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt, Germany. It is the 16th edition of the PDC World Cup of Darts to be staged by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). The total prize fund is £500,000, of which the winning team will share £100,000.
| 2026 BetVictor World Cup of Darts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament information | |||
| Dates | 11–14 June 2026 | ||
| Venue | Eissporthalle | ||
| Location | Frankfurt, Germany | ||
| Organisation(s) | Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) | ||
| Format | Doubles event Legs | ||
| Prize fund | £500,000 | ||
| Winner's share | £100,000 | ||
| High checkout |
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The tournament features 40 pairs of national teams. The top four nations based on lowest cumulative placement in the PDC World Rankings will enter the tournament in the second round, with the remaining 36 teams starting in the group stage. Trinidad and Tobago and Mongolia made their World Cup debuts, while Slovenia participated in the event for the first time since the inaugural edition in 2010. Uganda were also set to make their debut, but the team withdrew due to visa issues and were replaced by Gibraltar. Simon Whitlock, who won the 2022 edition alongside Damon Heta, missed the event for the first time after representing Australia at each previous edition.
Northern Ireland's Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney are the defending champions, having defeated Wales 10–9 in the 2025 final.
Overview
Background
The 2026 PDC World Cup of Darts is the 16th edition of the tournament to be staged by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) since the inaugural edition in 2010.[1] It was introduced as part of PDC chairman Barry Hearn's plans to expand professional darts, which he initiated after his offer to acquire the British Darts Organisation was rejected.[2][3] The first edition was held at the Rainton Meadows Arena in Houghton-le-Spring, England, and was won by Raymond van Barneveld and Co Stompé of the Netherlands.[4][5] The tournament has since been held in Germany, with the exception of the 2020 edition held in Austria.[6]
The 2026 edition is being held from 11 to 14 June 2026 at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt.[7] Gibraltar-based online gambling company BetVictor continued its sponsorship of the event after becoming title sponsor in 2024.[8] Northern Ireland enter the tournament as defending champions after Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney defeated Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price of Wales 10–9 in the 2025 final to claim the nation's first World Cup.[9] Top seeds England, represented by world number one Luke Littler and world number two Luke Humphries, were seen as the favourites to win the title, despite suffering an upset loss to Germany in their opening match the previous year.[10][11]
Format
The 40-team format that was introduced in 2023 remained. The top four seeded teams received a bye to the second round, while the remaining 36 teams competed in the group stage. The group stage consisted of twelve groups of three teams, with one qualifying from each group.[12]
In this format, all rounds feature doubles matches where teams alternate between players for each turn. All matches are in leg play format, with the number of legs required to win increasing as the tournament progresses:[13]
- Group stage: Best of seven legs
- Second round, quarter and semi-finals: Best of fifteen legs
- Final: Best of nineteen legs
Prize money
The total prize fund for the event increased from £450,000 in 2025 to £500,000 in 2026.[14][15] The winning team will share the top prize of £100,000. The prize money per team is:[7]
| Position (no. of teams) | Prize money (Total: £500,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winners | (1) | £100,000 |
| Runners-up | (1) | £48,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £30,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £20,000 |
| Last 16 (Second round) | (8) | £10,000 |
| Second in group | (12) | £6,000 |
| Third in group | (12) | £5,000 |
Broadcasts
The tournament is being broadcast on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Other broadcasters include DAZN in Germany, Austria and Switzerland; Fox Sports in Australia; Sky Sport in New Zealand; Viaplay in the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Iceland; VTM in Belgium; FanDuel TV and Peacock in the United States; Nova in the Czech Republic and Slovakia; AMC Network in Hungary; Arena Sport in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo; Zonasport in Croatia; TV3 in the Baltic states; Setanta in Ukraine; beIN Sports in the Middle East and North Africa; Canal+ in Poland; and Canal+ in South Africa. It was also available for subscribers outside of the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on the PDC's streaming service, PDCTV.[16]
Teams and seedings
The tournament consists of 40 pairs of national teams. The first 33 nations were confirmed on 6 February 2026, with a further seven teams being determined through various qualifiers: three from a PDC Asian Tour qualifier, two from the PDC Nordic and Baltic rankings, one from a Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean Tour qualifier, and one from an African Darts Group qualifier.[17]
Two nations made their World Cup of Darts debuts. Trinidad and Tobago, represented by Joshua Balfour and James Walklin, made their first appearance after winning the Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean Tour qualifier.[18] The second new nation, Mongolia, represented by Ganzorig Lkhagvasüren and Altantülkhüür Myagmarsüren, achieved their place at the tournament alongside Singapore and Thailand through the PDC Asian Tour qualifier.[19] Uganda, represented by Patrick Ocheng and Juma Said, originally secured their debut by winning the newly-introduced North African qualifier.[20] However, on 10 June 2026, the PDC announced that the Ugandan team, as well as runners-up Malawi, were unable to enter Germany due to visa issues. The remaining place in the tournament was awarded to Gibraltar, represented by Craig Galliano and Justin Hewitt.[21]
Nick Kenny is making his first appearance for Wales as a replacement for Gerwyn Price, who made himself unavailable for selection.[22] Mickey Mansell is representing the Republic of Ireland for the first time, having previously represented Northern Ireland on four occasions.[23] As a result of Benjamin Pratnemer earning a PDC Tour Card at 2026 Q-School, Slovenia participated in the event for the first time since the inaugural edition in 2010. Fellow tour newcomer Adam Leek partnered Damon Heta for Australia, marking the first time 2022 champion Simon Whitlock had missed the event since its inception.[24] William O'Connor and Mensur Suljović remained as the only ever-present players in the tournament's history.[25][26]
The top four nations based on lowest cumulative placement in the PDC World Rankings will enter the tournament in the second round as seeds, while the next twelve nations were seeded in the group stage. The full list of pairings was confirmed on 11 May following the culmination of the Austrian Darts Open:[27]
Summary
Groups
The group stage was held over three sessions, the first taking place on 11 June with the second and third taking place on 12 June. In each of the three sessions, one match was played from each group. The loser of the first match played the remaining team in the second match, while the winner of the first match played the remaining team in the third match, ensuring there were no dead rubbers. In each session, the matches were played in the following group order: H, K, L, D, E, F, J, B, A, C, I, G.[28][29]
Groups A–D
Group A features host nation and fifth seeds Germany, the Philippines, and New Zealand. In the group's opening match, Germany achieved a three-dart average of 101.90, the highest for a German team in the tournament's history, as they whitewashed the Philippines 4–0. Germany's Martin Schindler recorded an individual average of 120.69.[30][31] The Philippines required a 4–0 victory against New Zealand to avoid elimination, but were only able to win 4–1 despite averaging over 98.[32] Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko claimed the single leg they needed against New Zealand to ensure qualification before securing a 4–2 win.[33]
Group B features 2013 finalists and sixth seeds Belgium, Hong Kong, and Slovenia. Hong Kong established a 3–0 lead against Belgium and although the Belgians threatened a comeback, Hong Kong later sealed a 4–2 win to upset the seeded team.[34] Belgium's performance against Hong Kong saw a discrepancy in individual averages, as Mike De Decker averaged 106 compared to his teammate Dimitri Van den Bergh's 65.[30][35] Belgium rebounded from their opening defeat, winning four consecutive legs to beat Slovenia 4–1.[36] Hong Kong needed to win three legs against Slovenia to progress to the knockout stage, but the pair missed a total of six qualification darts as they lost 4–2, resulting in Belgium advancing based on leg difference.[37]
Group C features two-time champions and seventh seeds Wales, Lithuania, and Thailand. The new Welsh pair of Jonny Clayton and debutant Nick Kenny were 4–1 victors over Lithuania in the group's opener, winning four consecutive legs after going 1–0 behind.[38] Clayton followed a 146 checkout with a 100 checkout using two double 20s to secure the win.[35] "It was mint, and to do it with Jonny [Clayton] was even better," said Kenny about his debut.[39] Thailand were beaten twice the following day, losing to Lithuania before a 4–1 defeat to Wales saw Clayton and Kenny qualify for the knockout stage.[40]
Group D featured 2019 finalists and eighth seeds Ireland, Singapore, and Gibraltar. Singapore's Phuay Wei Tan opened their match with Ireland by winning the first leg with a 170 checkout, but Ireland claimed the next four legs to win 4–1.[34] In a post-match interview, Ireland's William O'Connor criticised the seeding system of the tournament, joking that "two guys out of the pub" could win due to the group stage's short format, before stating that teams entering at the second-round stage was "absolutely rubbish" and that he wished they entered at the same time as everyone else.[39] Gibraltar, who arrived in Frankfurt the evening before the tournament started as a replacement for Uganda, were beaten 4–2 by Singapore.[41] Ireland secured qualification by taking a 2–1 lead against Gibraltar, and although Gibraltar's Craig Galliano landed a 158 checkout to level the match, O'Connor and Mickey Mansell won the next two legs to prevail 4–2.[42]
Groups E–H
Group E featured ninth seeds Poland, Portugal, and Switzerland. Poland, considered a dark horse to win the tournament, opened their campaign with a 4–1 win over Portugal.[34][43] Switzerland inflicted a second defeat on Portugal in their opening match the following day, but were beaten 4–2 by Poland as Krzysztof Ratajski and Sebastian Białecki advanced to the last 16.[44]
Group F featured tenth seeds Sweden, South Africa, and debutants Mongolia. Sweden won the group's opener against South Africa, coming through a match with poor doubling from both teams to claim a 4–2 victory.[43] Mongolia claimed their first ever leg before succumbing to a 4–1 defeat to South Africa.[32] The Mongolians took a 1–0 lead against Sweden but suffered their second 4–1 loss as Jeffrey de Graaf and Oskar Lukasiak secured the top spot in Group F.[45]
Group G featured 2022 champions and eleventh seeds Australia, the United States, and Canada. The group was called the "group of death" by pundit and three-time world champion John Part.[34] The seeded team were unsuccessful in their opening match as Australia lost in a deciding leg to the United States.[35] Australia's elimination was confirmed following a 4–1 loss to Canada. In a North American derby, Adam Sevada and Stowe Buntz of the United States won their decisive match against Canada 4–2 to advance.[40]
Group H featured twelfth seeds the Czech Republic, India, and Denmark. Adam Gawlas averaged over 115 and hit three maximums to lead the Czech Republic to a whitewash victory over India in their opening match.[35][39] Denmark defeated India 4–1 but lost their second match 4–1 to Gawlas and Karel Sedláček, who only dropped one leg on their way to winning Group H.[32][45]
Groups I–L
Group I featured two-time finalists and thirteenth seeds Austria, China, and France. Austria posted an average of 97.38 as they won 4–1 against China.[35] After claiming a deciding-leg victory over China, Thibault Tricole and Nicolas Thuillier of France made it through by overturning a 3–0 deficit to earn a 4–3 comeback win against Austria, who missed four match darts.[37]
Group J featured fourteenth seeds Latvia, Italy, and debutants Trinidad and Tobago. Latvia trailed Italy 2–1 in the group's opening match but won the next three legs to secure a 4–2 victory.[35] Despite losing their opening match to Italy, Trinidad and Tobago claimed a 4–3 upset victory over Latvia, although the Latvian pair of Madars Razma and Valters Melderis advanced to the knockout stage by winning the three legs they required.[44]
Group K featured fifteenth seeds Croatia, Japan, and Spain. Croatia led Japan 2–0 but were eventually brought to a deciding leg after missing three match darts, which allowed Haruki Muramatsu to convert an 81 checkout on the bullseye to prolong the contest. His teammate Motomu Sakai then hit double 12 in the decider to complete a 4–3 victory for Japan.[43] Croatia suffered another deciding-leg loss to Spain. In the group's final match, Spain's Cristo Reyes hit a 135 checkout on the bullseye before he and José Justicia completed a 4–1 win against Japan to qualify for the next round.[40][45]
Group L featured sixteenth seeds Finland, Norway, and Hungary. Norway went 2–0 ahead against Finland, but the Finnish duo were able to take the match to a deciding leg, where Norway prevailed 4–3.[34] Hungary whitewashed Finland to set up a deciding match, where Cor Dekker and Kent Jøran Sivertsen won 4–3 to top the group and ensure that Norway would feature in the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time in a decade.[40]
Group stage
The group stage draw was announced on 3 June.[28] Bracketed numbers show the seedings for the top twelve teams in the group stage. The figures to the right of a nation's name state their three-dart average in a match. Nations in bold denote match winners.[46]
All group matches were best of 7 legs
After three games, the team that finished top in each group qualifies for the knockout stage
If teams were tied on points after all the matches are completed, the ties were broken based on leg difference
NB: P = Played; W = Won; L = Lost; LF = Legs for; LA = Legs against; LD = Leg difference; Pts = Points
Group A
11 June
12 June
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Group B
11 June
12 June
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Group C
11 June
12 June
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Group D
11 June
12 June
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Group E
11 June
12 June
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Group F
11 June
12 June
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Group G
11 June
12 June
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Group H
11 June
12 June
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Group I
11 June
12 June
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Group J
11 June
12 June
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Group K
11 June
12 June
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Group L
11 June
12 June
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Knockout stage
The draw for the knockout stage was conducted by John Part following the culmination of the group stage on 12 June. England, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, and Scotland entered the draw as the top four seeds, while the twelve group winners were drawn into the bracket at random.[40][47] Numbers to the left of nations' names show the seedings for the top sixteen teams in the tournament. The figures to the right of a nation's name state their three-dart average in a match. Players in bold denote match winners.[48]
| Second round (best of 15 legs) 13 June | Quarter-finals (best of 15 legs) 14 June | Semi-finals (best of 15 legs) 14 June | Final (best of 19 legs) 14 June | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 |  England 94.11
| 8 | |||||||||||||||||
 Spain 96.13
| 5 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | England
| ||||||||||||||||||
| 7 |  Wales
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| 7 | Wales 89.32
| 8 | |||||||||||||||||
 United States 85.75
| 5 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| 4 |  Scotland 99.37
| 8 | |||||||||||||||||
 Norway 83.82
| 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Scotland
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| 8 |  Ireland
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| 8 | Ireland 92.21
| 8 | |||||||||||||||||
| 9 |  Poland 91.71
| 5 | |||||||||||||||||
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| 2 |  Netherlands 94.08
| 8 | |||||||||||||||||
| 10 |  Sweden 89.20
| 6 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Netherlands
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| 5 |  Germany
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| 5 | Germany 92.09
| 8 | |||||||||||||||||
| 12 |  Czech Republic 90.07
| 6 | |||||||||||||||||
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| 3 |  Northern Ireland 94.21
| 8 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 |  Belgium 86.83
| 7 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Northern Ireland
| ||||||||||||||||||
| 14 |  Latvia
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| 14 | Latvia 79.53
| 8 | |||||||||||||||||
 France 77.80
| 7 | ||||||||||||||||||