What Must Littler Achieve to Secure a Complete Darts Sweep?

Luke Littler, currently perched at the summit of the darts world as the number‑one player, has already captured every major tournament on the calendar for 2026. His haul includes the World Championship, World Masters, UK Open and World Matchplay, adding to a trophy cabinet that already boasts the Premier League and World Cup titles.

With these victories, Littler is on the brink of becoming only the third player ever to clinch every ranking and non‑ranking major in a single season. To turn this impressive run into a historic clean sweep, Littler still needs to add five more titles to his résumé. Sky Sports has broken down the exact sequence of events that will determine whether he can pull off this unprecedented feat. The next obstacle arrives on Friday at the World Series of Darts Finals.

The defending champion, Michael van Gerwen, will be looking to retain his crown after defeating Littler 11‑7 in front of a fervent Dutch crowd in Amsterdam earlier this year. Although van Gerwen holds a World Series title from 2024—where he beat Michael Smith 11‑4—Littler’s recent form suggests he could reverse the previous result and claim the trophy.

A week later, the calendar moves to the World Grand Prix, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports from September 28 to October 4. Littler’s opening match pits him against Luke Woodhouse, a seasoned competitor who will test the teenager’s resolve.

The Grand Prix is unique because it uses a double‑in, double‑out format, a structure Littler has publicly criticized as one of the toughest challenges in the sport. He once described the format as “a nightmare” compared with the more straightforward legs in the World Championship, the Matchplay and the Premier League.

Nevertheless, the format did not hinder him in 2025, when he dispatched world number 2 Luke Humphries 6‑1 in a dominant final. After the Grand Prix, Littler’s journey heads north to Dortmund for the European Championship, the sole major that has thus far escaped his grasp. In the 2025 edition, he fell 10‑7 to James Wade in the second round, a loss that still stings. Securing the European title would give Littler a complete set of major championships—something no player has ever achieved in a single calendar year.

Michael van Gerwen came close in 2016 and 2017, but his bid was thwarted by a missing World Cup of Darts victory. If he adds the European Crown, Littler will then aim for a third consecutive Grand Slam win in Wolverhampton.

The Grand Slam is a prestigious event that gathers the season’s best from both the PDC and BDO circuits, and a three‑peat would cement his status as a dominant force. Following that, the schedule leads to Minehead for the Players Championship finals. Littler is the defending champion, having beaten Nathan Aspinall 11‑8 in the 2025 final, and a successful defense would bring him one step closer to the clean sweep. However, the Players Championship presents a significant hurdle on the Pro Tour.

Currently, Littler sits 125th on the Players Championship Order of Merit with total prize earnings of just £10,500. Only the top 64 players qualify for the finals weekend at Minehead, meaning he must climb dramatically up the rankings.

The player occupying the 64th spot, Shane McGuirk, sits at £27,500, leaving Littler a shortfall of roughly £17,000. Each remaining Players Championship event awards £15,000 to the winner, so a single victory could catapult Littler into the qualifying zone, provided he also picks up smaller sums in the other tournaments. The calendar still offers six events—three in Den Bosch and three in Leicester—giving him a realistic, albeit tight, window to amass the necessary prize money.

Littler’s recent form on the floor events has been mixed. After missing the first 26 Players Championships of the season, he returned in August to compete in Leicester, reaching a quarter‑final and a semi‑final in his two appearances. While those runs added valuable points, they were not enough to erase the deficit. The upcoming events will be crucial; a deep run or a title win could secure his place at Minehead and keep the clean‑sweep dream alive.

In summary, Littler’s path to a historic calendar‑year sweep requires: 1. Victory at the World Series of Darts Finals.

2. Triumph at the World Grand Prix. 3. Winning the European Championship in Dortmund.

4. Capturing a third straight Grand Slam title. 5.

Defending the Players Championship in Minehead, while also climbing into the top 64 of the Order of Merit. Each step presents its own set of challenges, from facing seasoned veterans like van Gerwen and Woodhouse to navigating the demanding double‑in, double‑out format of the Grand Prix. Yet, with his current momentum and a realistic chance to win at least one of the remaining Pro Tour events, Littler remains a viable contender for the sport’s most coveted achievement.

Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports, with streaming available through NOW without a long‑term contract. The clock is ticking, but if the teenage prodigy can maintain his composure and seize the remaining opportunities, he will etch his name in darts history as the first player ever to claim every major title within a single calendar year.