Luke Littler is back and targeting a first PDC World Darts Championship after a breathtaking season.
‘The Nuke’ was upset by Luke Humphries in the final of the 2024 edition, sparking a blossoming rivalry between the pair, which could dominate the sport for years to come.
The 17-year-old is ranked fourth in the world entering the championship and filled with confidence.
Victories in the Grand Slam of Darts, the Premier League and World Series Finals have been some of the highlights from a glittering year as Littler mania has taken the sport by storm.
Here’s everything you need to know about Littler’s first match of this year’s championship and who he might meet along the way to a potential second final:
When is Littler playing and what’s his route to the 2025 final?
Littler’s first match, in the second round, will be against Ryan Meikle, who defeated Fallon Sherrock on Tuesday night.
The match will take place on Saturday, 21 December. The match is third in the order of play for the evening session, which starts at 7pm GMT, so we can expect the match to start at approximately 9pm GMT.
In round three, the highest seed is Ritchie Edhouse, then in round four Danny Noppert could stand in his way.
A quarter-final against Rob Cross is on the cards before defending world champion Luke Humphries in the semi-finals. The final could see Littler face a number of former world champions, including Michael Smith, Michael Van Gerwen and Gary Anderson.
How can I watch?
You can watch the PDC Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2024/25 on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel from 15 December, with a live stream on Sky Go and Now TV.
World Darts Championship Format
Final: Best of 13 sets
Semi-Final: Best of 11 sets
Quarter-Final: Best of nine sets
Fourth Round: Best of seven sets
Third Round: Best of seven sets
Second Round: Best of five sets
First Round: Best of five sets
Odds
Luke Littler 7/4
Luke Humphries 11/4
Gary Anderson 10/1
Michael van Gerwen 10/1
Gian van Veen 28/1
Michael Smith 28/1
Rob Cross 28/1
World Darts Championship prize money
Winner: £500,000
Runner-Up: £200,000
Semi-Final: £100,000
Quarter-Final: £50,000
Fourth Round: £35,000
Third Round: £25,000
Second Round: £15,000
First Round: £7,500
Total: £2,500,000
