Luke Littler has once again voiced his ambition to become the "greatest darts player ever" after another commanding performance, this time by defending his Betfred World Matchplay title. The 19‑year‑old’s latest triumph has sparked fresh comparisons with the legendary Phil Taylor, whose record‑breaking career set the benchmark for excellence in the sport.
Littler capped an extraordinary week at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens by becoming the first player since Michael van Gerwen to retain the World Matchplay crown. The victory adds to a remarkable string of achievements that have seen him win every PDC major on the 2026 calendar so far, a feat that few have ever imagined possible. The list of superlatives that can be applied to Littler is growing at a dizzying pace. The teenage phenom is scaling heights that place him alongside the greatest generations of darts, and he is already eclipsing several records previously held by his childhood idol, Phil Taylor.
As he continues to collect titles, the conversation about whether he can truly surpass Taylor’s legacy becomes ever more compelling. Littler has already defended his World Championship and UK Open crowns, claimed the Winmau World Masters, the Premier League, and the World Cup of Darts. At just 19, his résumé reads like a checklist of the sport’s most prestigious trophies, and he is clearly not content to stop there.
He has spoken openly about his desire to win every major in a single calendar year, a claim that, if fulfilled, would be unprecedented in modern darts. "I don’t think anyone has ever won every major in the calendar year and that is what we are pushing for," Littler told Sky Sports. "The family, they are always backing me a million per cent and that is what drives me on." He went on to say, "I would absolutely love to be the greatest dart player there ever has been.
As I have always said, I have got to win 16 of these, 16 worlds, and then have a look at whatever else Phil Taylor did win. I have got plenty more years.
When am I going to retire? Who knows.
I have still got plenty more years left in the tank." The teenager’s statistical output this week was nothing short of spectacular. He posted an average of 111.04 across his five matches, shattering Taylor’s 2010 benchmark of 106.31 and setting a new tournament record. He also broke his own record for the most 180s thrown in a World Matchplay event. "I am very happy with myself and the performances, not only in the final but the past eight days, every round," Littler said.
"It is crazy to say that the 109 average was my worst average throughout the tournament!" While Littler now holds the trophy that bears Taylor’s name, matching the legend’s total of World Matchplay titles would require him to win the event every year until 2040 – a daunting but not impossible challenge for a player of his calibre. To put the timeline into perspective, when Littler was born in 2007, Taylor was knocked out in the quarter‑finals of the World Matchplay – only the second time that century that "The Power" had been defeated on the Winter Gardens stage. Seven years later, after Littler had left primary school, Taylor was still unbeaten at the venue, completing a seventh consecutive World Matchplay title and a streak of 38 straight wins.
No competitor has come close to those figures since. The comparison of trophies may be imperfect, but the scoring gap is razor‑thin. Littler’s 111.04 average is the second‑highest tournament winning average in history, just 0.5 points shy of Taylor’s 111.54 in the 2009 European Championship, despite playing more than twice the number of legs.
When asked about his future potential, Littler was modest yet confident. "I can still get better," he said at the press conference. "I can obviously get a lot better.
Through the matches I was up to a 120 average at one point. I didn’t stick at it, but maybe in a few years’ time I will stick at it and go up to that when the match is finished. At the minute, I’m playing some of the best stuff and I’ve just got to keep it there." PDC chief executive Matt Porter echoed the sentiment, describing Littler’s dominance as "very Taylor‑esque" and noting his unprecedented prize‑money haul of £3 million.
Porter added, "I don’t think the mentality of the opponents is the same as in Taylor’s era. Twenty‑odd years ago, players would see getting to the final as their championship. You wouldn’t get that answer off Gerwyn Price, Luke Humphries, Michael Van Gerwen, Steven Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, Jonny Clayton – those guys are not here to make up the numbers. Luke at the moment is almost unstoppable.
Nobody’s ever unstoppable, but with the way he’s playing, someone’s really going to have to up their game if they’re going to beat him." Looking ahead, Littler faces further title defenses at the Boyle Sports World Grand Prix (28 September–4 October) and the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts (14–22 November). He already enjoys a record‑breaking lead at the top of the PDC Order of Merit, and a successful run in those events could set him up for a historic sweep of every major and televised event in a single year. The upcoming European Championship (22–25 October) offers Littler a chance to claim his elusive TV‑ranked title.
If he adds that to the Grand Prix, Grand Slam, and the Players Championship Finals (27–29 November), he will have captured every major on the calendar – a feat no one has accomplished in the modern era. For context, Taylor’s own 2009 season, while spectacular, omitted the Premier League and the World Cup of Darts (the latter only launched in 2010). Michael Van Gerwen’s 2016 dominance also missed World Cup glory.
Littler, therefore, stands on the cusp of a campaign that could eclipse both of those legendary years. Interestingly, Littler has been selective about his ProTour schedule, at times skipping events and leaving his qualification for the Players Championship Finals in doubt. After his latest win, however, he admitted that the prospect of completing a calendar‑year grand slam has reshaped his plans.
"Coming into the tournament I’d won every major so far so this is what I wanted to do," he explained. "I have been checking the Pro Tour rankings – whoever is in 64th (final qualification spot) just keeps going up and up!
I know there are four Players Championship events in Leicester I have got to go to now. If I don’t qualify I will get grilled and if I qualify I will get grilled anyway, so who knows what is going to happen." In just over two and a half years as a professional, Littler has already cemented his status as one of darts’ greats. The prospect of him continuing to improve, chase further records, and possibly rewrite the sport’s history is both thrilling and a little terrifying for his rivals.
Fans can expect to see him chase more silverware on Sky Sports, with live coverage of the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts, and the World Darts Championship all within reach. The journey toward becoming the greatest darts player ever is well underway, and the world is watching with bated breath.