Luke Littler has once again voiced his ambition to become the "greatest darts player ever" after a commanding defence of his Betfred World Matchplay crown. The 19‑year‑old’s latest triumph has intensified the debate about how his achievements stack up against the legendary Phil Taylor, whose record‑breaking career set the benchmark for generations. At Blackpool's Winter Gardens, Littler capped a historic week by becoming the first man since Michael van Gerwen to retain the World Matchplay title.
The victory adds another major to his growing collection and continues an unprecedented run of winning every PDC major that has been contested in 2026 so far. Each new accolade pushes the narrative that the sport’s superlative language is running out of adjectives to describe his brilliance. Littler’s résumé already includes successful defences of the World Championship and the UK Open, a Winmau World Masters crown, a Premier League title and a World Cup of Darts win. The teenage phenom now has his sights set on even more trophies in the coming months and years, driven by a family that "backs him a million per cent," as he told Sky Sports.
"I don't think anyone has ever won every major in the calendar year and that is what we are pushing for," Littler said. "I would absolutely love to be the greatest darts 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 plenty more years. When am I going to retire? Who knows.
I still have plenty of years left in the tank." His recent Matchplay performance was nothing short of spectacular. Over five matches he posted an average of 111.04, shattering Taylor’s 2010 benchmark of 106.31 and establishing a new tournament record. He also eclipsed his own record for the most 180s in a World Matchplay campaign.
"I am very happy with myself and the performances, not only in the final but the past eight days, every round," Littler added. "It is crazy to say that the 109 average was my worst average throughout the tournament!" Even though he now holds the trophy that bears Taylor’s name, Littler would need to win the World Matchplay every year until 2040 just to equal the ten‑title haul that Taylor amassed. For perspective, when Littler was born in 2007, Taylor was still battling his way through quarter‑finals at the same venue. Seven years later, after Littler left primary school, Taylor was in the midst of a seven‑year consecutive Matchplay streak, winning 38 matches in a row and losing only eight times over a 24‑year span.
No modern competitor has come close to those figures. Statistically, the gap is narrowing. Littler’s 111.04 average is the second‑highest ever recorded in a major tournament, trailing only by 0.5 points from Taylor’s 2009 European Championship average, despite Littler having played more than twice the number of legs.
"I can still get better," he insisted at the press conference. "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 praised Littler’s dominance, noting that his earnings of £3 million in prize money are unprecedented. Porter also highlighted a shift in the competitive mindset: "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 or 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 defences at the Boyle Sports World Grand Prix (28 September–4 October) and the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts (14–22 November). He also aims to capture the elusive TV‑ranked title at the European Championship (22–25 October).
Securing those three events would leave only the Players Championship Finals (27–29 November) to complete a clean sweep of every major and marquee televised tournament in a single calendar year. Comparisons with past greats are inevitable. Taylor’s remarkable 2009 season omitted the Premier League and the World Cup of Darts – the latter did not exist until the following year – while Michael van Gerwen’s 2016 dominance missed World Cup glory as well.
Littler now has the opportunity to eclipse both by winning every major in a single season, a feat no one has achieved in the modern era. Littler has been selective with ProTour events this season, leaving his qualification for the Players Championship Finals uncertain.
However, his recent triumph and the prospect of a historic clean‑sweep have prompted a reassessment of his schedule. "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, adding more records to his name, and perhaps one day eclipsing Phil Taylor’s legendary tally is both terrifying and exhilarating for fans and rivals alike. His journey will be followed closely on Sky Sports, where live coverage of the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and the World Darts Championship will showcase his quest for further television silverware.