Overview
- Littler overpowered Van Veen 7-1 at Alexandra Palace, averaging 106.02 with 16 180s and sealing victory with a 147 checkout after winning seven straight sets.
- He becomes the fourth back-to-back PDC world champion and the first since 2016, reaching a third consecutive final while extending an extraordinary Ally Pally record.
- The 2026 event featured an enlarged 128-player field and a record £5m purse, with the winner’s cheque doubled to £1m and the runner-up earning £400,000.
- Van Veen reached his first senior world final after a 6-3 semifinal win over Gary Anderson, capping a breakthrough year that included the European Championship and a rise to world No 3.
- The showdown between an 18-year-old and a 23-year-old produced the youngest final on record, underscoring a generational shift at the top of elite darts.