World number one and former champion Luke Littler is slated to be the marquee attraction among the Tour Card Holders and International Qualifiers who will take part in the Winmau World Youth Championship on Monday. The tournament will feature a full field of 128 competitors, a roster that will be locked in once the Development Tour season wraps up this weekend with Events 21 through 24 scheduled for October 3-4 in Wigan. The 2026 edition of the World Youth Championship will unfold in two distinct phases. The round‑robin stage and the early knockout rounds, covering the last 64 through to the semi‑finals, are all set for Monday, 5 October, at the Robin Park Leisure Centre.
Organisers advise spectators to view any streamed video using the Chrome browser for the best accessibility and playback experience. Littler’s recent schedule has been a bit turbulent.
He withdrew from Players Championship events 29 and 30 after a loss at the World Series Finals in Amsterdam, a decision that effectively ended his chance to qualify for the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals in Minehead later in November. Nevertheless, his name remains on the Minehead venue list, meaning he could still appear on the stage if circumstances allow. The championship final is slated for Sunday, 29 November, at Butlin’s Minehead Resort, running alongside the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals. The prize pool for the youth event has been boosted, with the champion now taking home £15,000.
The composition of the 128‑player field is a blend of age‑qualified PDC Tour Card Holders who have accepted invitations, 26 international representatives, and the remaining slots filled by the top finishers on the Development Tour Rankings. During the group stage, the competitors will be divided into 32 groups of four players each, with one seeded player per group. Seedings are determined first by the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder and then by the Development Tour Rankings. From each group, the two best performers will advance to the knockout phase, which begins at the last‑64 stage.
The knockout matches will be contested over a longer format than the group games, moving from best‑of‑nine legs in the groups to best‑of‑11 legs in the elimination rounds. Littler, who captured the World Youth Championship title in 2023, enters the tournament as the top seed by virtue of his world‑number‑one ranking. He will be joined at the top of the seed list by Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki and Ireland’s Keane Barry.
Former runner‑up Jurjen van der Velde, who finished second in 2024, is also back in the mix, along with other notable young talents such as Cam Crabtree, Charlie Manby, Owen Bates, and Czech player Adam Gawlas. Among the younger entrants is 16‑year‑old Lewis Cook from the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) circuit.
He will share the stage with rising stars Kaya Baysal, Archie Self and Ben Townley, all of whom have stepped up to compete on the Development Tour this season. The women’s side of the competition is represented by Eleanor Cairns and Kyana Frauenfelder, who earned their places via the PDC Women’s Series rankings.
Notably absent from the field are two‑time defending champion Gian van Veen, who has opted not to return, and runner‑up Beau Greaves, who lost to van Veen in the previous final. Yorick Hofkens has also chosen to sit out this year’s event.
The schedule for Monday’s competition at Robin Park Leisure Centre begins at 11:30 am, with each group match played over a best‑of‑nine‑leg format. The top two players from each group will then move on to the last‑64 knockout stage, where matches will be extended to best‑of‑11 legs, raising the stakes and testing the stamina of the young competitors.
Below is a snapshot of the age‑qualified Tour Card Holders who will be competing: Luke Littler, Sebastian Bialecki, Keane Barry, Cam Crabtree, Dominik Gruellich, Charlie Manby, Leon Weber, Tavis Dudeney, Adam Gawlas, Owen Bates, Jurjen van der Velde, Tyler Thorpe, among others. The international qualifiers list is equally diverse, featuring players such as Liam Maendl‑Lawrance (Germany), Mika Donnevert (Germany), Mio Varila (Finland), Alexander Thorvaldsson (Iceland), Daniel Kortbek (Denmark), Ky Smith (Australia), Bailey Marsh (Australia), Jayden Wedemeyer (Australia), Mitchel Beswick (Australia), Jack Sheppard (New Zealand), Hunter Eyles (New Zealand), Zacarno King (New Zealand), Zachary Meeks (USA), Conner Olson (USA), Liam McNeil (Canada), Benjamin Goddard (Canada), Craig Galliano (Gibraltar), Hayden Moodley (South Africa), Jason Britz (South Africa), Eleanor Cairns (England), Kyana Frauenfelder (Netherlands), Lewis Cook (England), Jaichen Song (China), Hiroyuki Tanaka (Japan), Zhijun Cui (China) and Duyana Decena (Philippines).
Darts fans can also look forward to a packed calendar of major events on Sky Sports, which remains the primary broadcaster for the sport. Upcoming highlights include the World Grand Prix (running until 4 October), the Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December – 3 January).
All of these tournaments, along with the youth championship, can be streamed live via the NOW platform, which offers a contract‑free viewing option for audiences worldwide.