# 2025 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2025 [PDC World Darts Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/pdc-world-darts-championship), played as the 2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championship for sponsorship reasons, was a professional darts tournament held from 15 December 2024 to 3 January 2025 at [Alexandra Palace](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexandra-palace) in London, won by [Luke Littler](https://www.edgepedia.org/luke-littler), who beat Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in the final[1](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/darts/news/world-darts-championship-2025-start-date-schedule-draw-pdc/8a4292ee816bdbe98ec4e658) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/e6f63e150bed64441b5522b23e96c705). It was the 32nd staging of the World Darts Championship, with 96 players competing for the Sid Waddell Trophy[3](https://dartsworld.com/2024/12/p/). Littler, aged 17, became the youngest world champion in darts history, breaking the record held by van Gerwen, who was 24 when he won his first title in 2014[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/articles/clyx7403y9ko).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | 15 December 2024 to 3 January 2025[1](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/darts/news/world-darts-championship-2025-start-date-schedule-draw-pdc/8a4292ee816bdbe98ec4e658) |
| Venue | Alexandra Palace, London, which has hosted the event since 2007[5](https://www.pdc-europe.tv/news/ally-pally-to-host-world-darts-championship-until-2031/) |
| Field | 96 players, the 32nd staging of the championship[3](https://dartsworld.com/2024/12/p/) |
| Champion | Luke Littler, 7-3 over Michael van Gerwen in the final[2](https://apnews.com/article/e6f63e150bed64441b5522b23e96c705) |
| Record set | Littler, at 17, the youngest world champion; van Gerwen was 24 on his 2014 win[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/articles/clyx7403y9ko) |
| Winner's prize | £500,000 (about $620,000)[2](https://apnews.com/article/e6f63e150bed64441b5522b23e96c705) |
| Final format | Best of 13 sets, first to seven sets[6](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/mundial-de-dardos-pdc-2025-fechas-participantes-formato-y-reglas-del-torneo-n/) |
## Format and schedule
The World Championship is the only PDC tournament played in sets and legs. Each leg is scored from 501 down to zero, finished on a double, and the first player to win three legs takes a set[6](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/mundial-de-dardos-pdc-2025-fechas-participantes-formato-y-reglas-del-torneo-n/). The number of sets needed to win a match increases by round: first and second round matches are best of five sets, third round and last 16 matches best of seven, quarter-finals best of nine, semi-finals best of eleven, and the final best of 13[6](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/mundial-de-dardos-pdc-2025-fechas-participantes-formato-y-reglas-del-torneo-n/).
Play ran from 15 December through the first four rounds, with the quarter-finals on 1 January, the semi-finals on 2 January, and the final on 3 January 2025[1](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/darts/news/world-darts-championship-2025-start-date-schedule-draw-pdc/8a4292ee816bdbe98ec4e658). The draw was made on 25 November 2024, broadcast live on [Sky Sports](https://www.edgepedia.org/sky-sports), placing defending champion and top seed [Luke Humphries](https://www.edgepedia.org/luke-humphries) in the first quarter and fourth seed Littler in the second[1](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/darts/news/world-darts-championship-2025-start-date-schedule-draw-pdc/8a4292ee816bdbe98ec4e658).
## Littler's road to the final
Littler entered the tournament twelve months after losing the 2024 final 7-4 to Luke Humphries, a defeat suffered when he was 16 and playing in his debut championship[2](https://apnews.com/article/e6f63e150bed64441b5522b23e96c705). By coming second, he had shot to fame far outside the sport: the teenage sensation from [Warrington](https://www.edgepedia.org/warrington), in England's northwest, picked up a dart for the first time at just 18 months old, won the junior world title in 2023, and made the 2024 final aged 16.[2](https://apnews.com/article/e6f63e150bed64441b5522b23e96c705)
In the semi-finals he beat former BDO world champion [Stephen Bunting](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-bunting), averaging over 105, throwing 13 maximum scores of 180, and completing three ton-plus checkouts including a 170 finish[7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/luke-littler-michael-van-gerwen-chris-dobey-alexandra-palace-stephen-bunting-b2673060.html). Van Gerwen, the three-time champion seeded third, reached the final by beating Chris Dobey in the other semi-final[7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/luke-littler-michael-van-gerwen-chris-dobey-alexandra-palace-stephen-bunting-b2673060.html). The pair had won six matches each in their head-to-head over the previous twelve months[8](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/darts/luke-littler-michael-van-gerwen-world-darts-championship-b2672986.html).
## The final
Littler took control early, punishing early weaknesses from van Gerwen to lead 4-0 in sets[9](https://www.pdc-europe.tv/news/teenage-sensation-littler-storms-to-historic-world-championship-title/) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/e6f63e150bed64441b5522b23e96c705). Van Gerwen, whose three world titles came in 2014, 2017, and 2019, recovered to take three sets but could not mount a serious comeback, and Littler closed the match 7-3[2](https://apnews.com/article/e6f63e150bed64441b5522b23e96c705) • [9](https://www.pdc-europe.tv/news/teenage-sensation-littler-storms-to-historic-world-championship-title/). He finished with a three-dart average above 102 and a 56 percent success rate on doubles[9](https://www.pdc-europe.tv/news/teenage-sensation-littler-storms-to-historic-world-championship-title/).
"Everyone dreams of lifting this trophy," Littler said afterwards, taking the winner's cheque of £500,000[2](https://apnews.com/article/e6f63e150bed64441b5522b23e96c705). He described feeling no nerves through the match except in the final leg, and said he had not yet taken in the achievement[9](https://www.pdc-europe.tv/news/teenage-sensation-littler-storms-to-historic-world-championship-title/).
## Aftermath
The title made Littler the 13th player to win the PDC World Championship and lifted him to world No. 2 behind Humphries, with van Gerwen third; it was his eleventh title of his first PDC season[9](https://www.pdc-europe.tv/news/teenage-sensation-littler-storms-to-historic-world-championship-title/). Commentators and opponents quickly framed the result as a changing of the guard, with Littler tipped to challenge Phil Taylor's record of 16 world titles[8](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/darts/luke-littler-michael-van-gerwen-world-darts-championship-b2672986.html) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/e6f63e150bed64441b5522b23e96c705).
The championship's wider effect on the sport was already measurable. Sky Sports' audience for the previous year's final peaked at 3.7 million, the broadcaster's largest audience for a sport other than soccer, and the number of junior darts academies for children under 16 doubled to 115 in a year, with the Junior Darts Corporation's membership rising from 1,600 to more than 3,000[10](https://apnews.com/article/80a44aaa6f37ea53c924d306a6db2dd4).
## References
1. [When is the World Darts Championship 2025? Start date, schedule, draw, Sporting News](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/darts/news/world-darts-championship-2025-start-date-schedule-draw-pdc/8a4292ee816bdbe98ec4e658)
2. [Luke Littler becomes the youngest world darts champion at 17, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/e6f63e150bed64441b5522b23e96c705)
3. [PDC World Championship 2025: Preview, Darts World Magazine](https://dartsworld.com/2024/12/p/)
4. [Luke Littler beats Michael Van Gerwen in final to win World Darts Championship 2025, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/articles/clyx7403y9ko)
5. [Ally Pally to host World Darts Championship until 2031, PDC Europe](https://www.pdc-europe.tv/news/ally-pally-to-host-world-darts-championship-until-2031/)
6. [Mundial de Dardos PDC 2025: fechas, participantes, formato y reglas del torneo, Diario AS](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/mundial-de-dardos-pdc-2025-fechas-participantes-formato-y-reglas-del-torneo-n/)
7. [Luke Littler closes in on history after easing into World Championship final, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/luke-littler-michael-van-gerwen-chris-dobey-alexandra-palace-stephen-bunting-b2673060.html)
8. [Semi-finals fizzle out but Luke Littler and Michael Van Gerwen set up fascinating World Darts Championship final, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/darts/luke-littler-michael-van-gerwen-world-darts-championship-b2672986.html)
9. [Teenage Sensation Littler storms to historic World Championship title, PDC Europe](https://www.pdc-europe.tv/news/teenage-sensation-littler-storms-to-historic-world-championship-title/)
10. [Luke Littler was an unknown a year ago. Now he's making millions and taking darts into mainstream, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/80a44aaa6f37ea53c924d306a6db2dd4)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Other individual sports and outdoor recreation › Cue sports (billiards, snooker, darts) › Darts › Professional Darts Corporation tournaments*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license