World number one and former champion Luke Littler is slated to be the marquee name among the Tour Card Holders and International Qualifiers who will take part in the upcoming Winmau World Youth Championship on Monday. The tournament’s complete roster of 128 competitors will be confirmed once the Development Tour season wraps up this weekend, after Events 21 through 24 are held in Wigan on October 3‑4. The 2026 edition of the World Youth Championship will unfold its round‑robin stage and the subsequent knockout rounds—from the last 64 right through to the semi‑finals—on Monday, October 5, at the Robin Park Leisure Centre.
Organisers advise spectators to use the Chrome browser for optimal video playback. Littler, who pulled out of Players Championship events 29 and 30 after a loss at the World Series Finals in Amsterdam, effectively ended his bid for a spot in the Minehead finals scheduled for November. Nonetheless, he remains eligible to compete at the venue. The championship final is slated for Sunday, November 29, at the Butlin’s Minehead Resort, coinciding with the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals, and will feature a heightened top prize of £15,000.
The 128‑player lineup will be composed of every age‑eligible PDC Tour Card Holder who accepts the invitation, alongside 26 international representatives. The remaining slots will be filled by the top finishers in the final Development Tour Rankings. During the group stage, the field will be divided into 32 groups of four players each, with one seeded player per group.
Seedings will be determined first by the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder and then by the Development Tour Rankings. The two highest‑placed players from each group will advance to the knockout phase, which begins at the last‑64 stage.
Again, the organisers suggest using Chrome for the most accessible video experience. As the reigning World Youth Champion from 2023, Littler enters the tournament as the top seed, reflecting his status as the world’s number one junior player. He will be joined at the top of the seedings by Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki and Ireland’s Keane Barry.
Former runner‑up Jurjen van der Velde, who finished second in 2024, will also be back, as will a host of other promising talents such as Cam Crabtree, Charlie Manby, Owen Bates and Czech representative Adam Gawlas. Among the younger competitors is 16‑year‑old Lewis Cook, a standout from the Junior Darts Circuit (JDC), together with emerging stars Kaya Baysal, Archie Self and Ben Townley, all of whom have stepped up to the Development Tour this season.
Representing the PDC Women’s Series rankings are Eleanor Cairns and Kyana Frauenfelder. Two‑time defending champion Gian van Veen will not be returning to defend his title, and former runner‑up Beau Greaves—as well as Yorick Hofkens—have opted out of Monday’s event.
The competition will kick off at 11:30 a.m. on Monday at Robin Park Leisure Centre, with each group match contested over the best of nine legs.
The top two players from each group will then move on to the last‑64, where matches will be played in a best‑of‑11‑legs knockout format. The official program lists the following age‑qualified Tour Card Holders: Luke Littler, Sebastian Bialecki, Keane Barry, Cam Crabtree, Dominik Gruellich, Charlie Manby, Leon Weber, Tavis Dudeney, Adam Gawlas, Owen Bates, Jurjen van der Velde, and Tyler Thorpe, among others. International qualifiers span a wide geographic range, 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).
For darts fans, Sky Sports continues to be the primary broadcaster, covering major events such as the World Grand Prix (through October 4), the Grand Slam of Darts (November 14‑22) and the World Darts Championship (December 10‑January 3). Viewers can also stream live darts action and additional programming via the NOW platform, which offers a contract‑free viewing option.
Overall, the 2026 Winmau World Youth Championship promises a blend of seasoned youth stars and fresh talent from around the globe, all competing for a coveted title and a substantial prize fund. With the group stage set to deliver fast‑paced, best‑of‑nine‑leg matches and the knockout rounds escalating to best‑of‑11, spectators can expect high‑quality darts, intense competition, and the emergence of the next generation of champions.