Luke Littler, currently the world’s top‑ranked darts professional, has already captured every major tournament on the 2026 calendar, positioning himself on the brink of becoming only the third player ever to claim a flawless sweep of both ranking and invitational titles within a single season. His résumé for the year already includes the World Championship, World Masters, UK Open and World Matchplay crowns, complementing an already impressive haul that features the Premier League and the World Cup of Darts. To etch his name permanently into the sport’s history books, Littler still needs to add five more trophies to his collection. Sky Sports has broken down the exact sequence of events he must conquer to achieve this unprecedented feat.
The next obstacle on Littler’s road to a clean sweep arrives on Friday with the World Series of Darts Finals. The defending champion, Michael van Gerwen, will be looking to retain his title after edging out Littler 11‑7 in front of a fervent Dutch crowd in Amsterdam. Despite the recent loss, Littler is no stranger to the World Series stage; he captured his first World Series title in 2024 by defeating Michael Smith 11‑4. A week later the calendar shifts to the World Grand Prix, broadcast live on Sky Sports from 28 September to 4 October.
Littler’s opening match pits him against Luke Woodhouse, a seasoned competitor known for his steady hand under pressure. The Grand Prix is notorious for its 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 real pain” and labelled the Grand Prix “one of the hardest tournaments to win, alongside the Worlds, the Matchplay, and the Premier League.” Nevertheless, the format did not deter him in 2025, when he thrashed world number 2 Luke Humphries 6‑1 in a dominant final performance. Following the Grand Prix, Littler’s itinerary takes him to Dortmund for the European Championship – the sole major that has so far escaped his grasp.
In the 2025 edition, he fell 10‑7 to James Wade in the second round, a defeat that still haunts him. Securing the European title would give Littler a complete set of major championships, a milestone no player has ever reached. Michael van Gerwen came close in 2016 and 2017, but his quest was thwarted by a loss in the World Cup of Darts, leaving Littler the only candidate to achieve the full sweep. Assuming he captures the European crown, the next target is a third consecutive Grand Slam victory in Wolverhampton.
The Grand Slam, held in early November, brings together the year’s biggest names from both the PDC and BDO circuits, and winning it three years in a row would cement Littler’s dominance across all formats. The final piece of the puzzle lies in Minehead, where the Players Championship Finals are staged. Littler entered the 2025 final as the defending champion, beating Nathan Aspinall 11‑8.
To retain that title and complete the calendar‑year sweep, he must first qualify for the event. Qualification is based on the Players Championship Order of Merit, and at present Littler sits a lowly 125th with just £10,500 in prize money earned from the series. Only the top 64 earn a spot at Minehead, meaning he must climb at least 61 places. The current 64th‑placed player, Shane McGuirk, holds £27,500 after six events.
With six Players Championship tournaments still on the schedule – three in Den Bosch and three in Leicester – Littler faces a steep climb. Each event awards a winner £15,000, so a single triumph could catapult him into the qualifying bracket, provided he adds modest earnings from the remaining tournaments. In August, Littler attempted to close the gap by returning to the floor events in Leicester after missing the first 26 Championships of the year, but his best results were a quarter‑final and a semi‑final, leaving a sizable shortfall. Looking ahead, Littler’s realistic pathway involves winning at least one of the six remaining Players Championship events, while also picking up additional prize money in the others to reach the £27,500 threshold.
Time is of the essence; the clock is already ticking, and each missed opportunity widens the gap between him and the qualification line. If Littler can navigate the World Series Finals, the Grand Prix, the European Championship, the Grand Slam and finally secure a spot – and then a victory – at the Players Championship Finals, he will become the first darts player ever to claim every major title in a single calendar year. Such an accomplishment would not only rewrite the record books but also set a new benchmark for excellence in professional darts.
Fans eager to follow his quest can watch the World Grand Prix live on Sky Sports between 28 September and 4 October, or stream the coverage via NOW TV, which offers a contract‑free, cancel‑anytime option. The journey promises high drama, relentless competition, and the chance to witness history in the making as Luke Littler strives to achieve the sport’s ultimate clean sweep.