Luke Littler, currently ranked as the world’s number one darts player, has already captured every major tournament on the calendar for 2026. His remarkable haul includes the World Championship, the World Masters, the UK Open and the World Matchplay, adding to an already impressive collection that also features the Premier League and the World Cup titles. With these victories, Littler is on the brink of becoming only the third competitor ever to secure a clean sweep of both ranking and non‑ranking events within a single season. To cement his place in darts history, Littler must still add five more trophies to his résumé.
Sky Sports has broken down the exact sequence of events he must navigate to complete this unprecedented achievement. The next obstacle appears this weekend at the World Series of Darts Finals. After surviving a tense first‑round clash with Danny Noppert – a match in which the audience was openly hostile – Littler advanced to face Nathan Aspinall in the second round on Saturday. The reigning champion, Michael van Gerwen, who defeated Littler 11‑7 in front of a partisan crowd in Amsterdam, also remains in contention, although he already holds a World Series title from his 2024 triumph over Michael Smith (11‑4).
Littler’s performance in this tournament will be a crucial early indicator of whether he can sustain the momentum needed for a full sweep. A week later, the World Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports from 28 September to 4 October.
Littler’s opening match pits him against Luke Woodhouse, a formidable opponent who could test his composure. The Grand Prix is unique because it uses a double‑in, double‑out format, a structure Littler has previously admitted he finds frustrating. He once described the event as “one of the toughest tournaments to win” alongside the World Championship, the Matchplay, and the Premier League. Nevertheless, he overcame that very format in 2025, dispatching world number two Luke Humphries 6‑1 in a decisive final.
This past success suggests that, despite his misgivings, Littler is capable of adapting his game to the double‑in requirement. Following the Grand Prix, Littler’s itinerary takes him to Dortmund for the European Championship. This is the sole major title that has so far escaped his grasp; in the 2025 edition he fell 10‑7 to James Wade in the second round. Securing the European Championship would give Littler a clean sweep of all major darts titles—a feat no player has ever accomplished.
Michael van Gerwen came close in 2016 and 2017, but his campaign was halted by a loss in the World Cup of Darts, leaving Littler the only realistic candidate to achieve the full set. Assuming he captures the European Championship, Littler would then aim for a third consecutive Grand Slam victory in Wolverhampton.
The Grand Slam, held in early November, gathers the sport’s elite from both the PDC and BDO circuits, making it a true test of versatility. A win there would add yet another prestigious crown to his expanding trophy cabinet. The final piece of the puzzle lies in the Players Championship series, culminating in the finals at Minehead.
In 2025, Littler retained his title by defeating Nathan Aspinall 11‑8, but his current standing on the Players Championship Order of Merit is precariously low at 125th place, with only £10,500 in prize money earned so far. Only the top 64 players qualify for the Minehead finals, and the 64th spot is occupied by Shane McGuirk, who has amassed £27,500. With six Players Championship events remaining, Littler must bridge a gap of at least £17,000.
Each remaining event offers a £15,000 winner’s purse, meaning that a single triumph could dramatically improve his ranking. Realistically, Littler will need to win at least one of the six tournaments and accumulate additional earnings in the others to secure a place among the top 64.
Earlier in August, after missing the first 26 Players Championship events, Littler returned to floor events in Leicester. He managed a quarter‑final and a semi‑final appearance, but those runs were insufficient to close the financial shortfall. Looking ahead, the schedule includes six more tournaments split between Den Bosch and Leicester.
The clock is ticking, and Littler’s ability to perform under pressure will be critical. If he can capture one of these events outright and consistently reach the later stages in the others, he stands a realistic chance of qualifying for the Minehead finals and, ultimately, completing the clean sweep. Beyond the pure competitive aspect, Littler’s quest carries significant symbolic weight.
Achieving a calendar‑year sweep would not only cement his status as the sport’s dominant figure but also rewrite the record books, establishing a benchmark that future generations will strive to match. It would demonstrate a level of consistency and mental fortitude rarely seen in any sport, let alone one as volatile as professional darts. Fans and analysts alike are watching closely. The upcoming World Grand Prix will be streamed live on Sky Sports from 28 September to 4 October, and viewers can access the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract.
As the season unfolds, each match will either bring Littler closer to an historic clean sweep or remind the darts community of the razor‑thin margins that separate triumph from disappointment. The journey is far from over, but the path is clear: win the remaining five major titles, secure enough Players Championship points, and etch his name permanently in darts history.