2026 World Series of Darts Finals preview and prediction

The darts are sharpened, as the World Series of Darts Finals 2026 is scheduled to take place from 17 to 20 September. For four days, AFAS Live in Amsterdam will provide the backdrop for one of the biggest darts tournaments of the year. Which of the 32 players will walk away with the top prize of £100,000?

All the top players will be there again, including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting and, of course, the defending champion Michael van Gerwen. Add to that a number of promising Dutch players, and it’s set to be a spectacular event. In this article, we look ahead to the tournament and share our predictions for the World Series of Darts Finals.

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World Series of Darts Finals preview

The World Series of Darts Finals marks the conclusion of the international World Series. In 2026, tournaments were organised in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Denmark and the United States. The top players from the World Series rankings ultimately qualified for the final tournament in Amsterdam. The player who performs best in Amsterdam will walk away with a huge cash prize and a magnificent trophy.

World Series of Darts format

The World Series of Darts Finals is a knockout tournament featuring 32 players. If you lose a match, you are immediately out of the tournament. The first and second rounds are played as best-of-11 legs. If you win six legs, you progress to the next round.

The quarter-finals are best of 19 legs, whilst the semi-finals and final are played as best of 21 legs. The eventual winner must therefore win six matches and will be crowned the winner of the World Series of Darts for life.

World Series of Darts Fixtures

Thursday 17 August – first round – from 7.00 pm

Viktor Tingström - Dirk van Duijvenbode
Rob Cross - Ryan Searle
Karel Sedlacek - Ben Robb
Kevin Doets - Ross Smith
Stephen Bunting - Josh Rock
Luke Humphries - Jermaine Wattimena
Michael van Gerwen - Daryl Gurney
Gian van Veen - Chris Dobey

Friday 18 August – second round

Adam Leek - Jim Long
Motomu Sakai - Callad Rydz
Wessel Nijman - Simon Whitlock
Nathan Aspinall - Raymond Smith
James Wade - Damon Heta
Gerwyn Price - Brody Klinge
Luke Littler - Danny Noppert
Jonny Clayton - Maik Kuivenhoven

World Series of Darts favourites

Michael van Gerwen

His heyday may be a little behind him now, but Michael van Gerwen was undoubtedly the strongest player at last year’s World Series of Darts. Mighty Mike won the World Series of Darts Finals last year for the sixth time in his career. He beat Wessel Nijman, Rob Cross, Luke Humphries and Josh Rock in succession to reach the final. In the final, he then faced Luke Littler, the world’s number one player. However, MvG won 11–7, finally securing another major title. Can he defend his title?

Luke Littler

For years, Luke Littler has been among the hot favourites to win a game of darts. The much-talked-about Englishman won the World Series Finals in 2024 and reached the final again last year. There, as mentioned, he had to concede defeat to Van Gerwen. Can he take his revenge for that lost final? And can he stand up to the booing directed at him?

Luke Humphries

Of course, Luke Humphries mustn’t be left off this list either. In fact, after Luke Littler, he is seen as the second-biggest favourite to win the World Series of Darts. Can the former world champion and former Premier League winner hold his own against Luke the Nuke? Or will he go down here too?

Dutch players at the World Series of Darts Finals

Good news: the (orange-clad) crowd at AFAS Live will get to see plenty of their compatriots in action. Alongside Michael van Gerwen, Gian van Veen, Danny Noppert, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Jermaine Wattimena, Wessel Nijman, Kevin Doets and Maik Kuivenhoven will also be taking part. For the latter in particular, this is a golden opportunity, given that he was added last minute. Alexis Toylo had been having problems with his visa.

It is worth noting, however, that a number of Dutch players will have to face top-ranked opponents straight away. Noppert, for instance, will play Littler, whilst Wattimena will take on Humphries. Finally, Gian van Veen will face Chris Dobey.

Van Duijvenbode will open against Viktor Tingstrom, whilst Wessel Nijman will take on the experienced Simon Whitlock. Kuivenhoven also faces a tough first-round match against Jonny Clayton. How many Dutch players will progress to the next round of the World Series of Darts?

World Series of Darts prediction

Sometimes wishful thinking gets the better of us. And that’s exactly what we’re applying to the World Series of Darts. Naturally, we’re hoping for Dutch success, but how wonderful would it be if the two Lukes were to face each other in the final? Luke Humfries is in good form! Not long before that, he reached the final of the USA Darts Masters.

We reckon he’s going to win again! A bet on Luke Humphries to win the World Series of Darts Finals pays out odds of 7.00. Are you placing a bet on our Sportsbook?