World number one and former champion Luke Littler will headline the roster of Tour Card Holders and International Qualifiers slated to compete in the upcoming Winmau World Youth Championship on Monday. The tournament’s full 128‑player field will be confirmed once the Development Tour season wraps up this weekend, after Events 21‑24 are completed in Wigan on 3‑4 October.
The 2026 edition of the World Youth Championship will stage its round‑robin phase followed by the knockout rounds, beginning with the last 64 and culminating in the semi‑finals, all on Monday 5 October at the Robin Park Leisure Centre. Spectators are advised to use the Chrome browser for the most reliable video‑player experience. Littler, who withdrew from Players Championship 29 and 30 after his loss at the World Series Finals in Amsterdam, effectively ended his bid to qualify for the Minehead finals in November. Nevertheless, he remains eligible to appear at the venue for the youth event.
The championship final is scheduled for Sunday 29 November at Butlin’s Minehead Resort, running alongside the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals. A heightened top prize of £15,000 will be on offer for the winner. The 128‑player lineup will comprise all age‑qualified PDC Tour Card Holders who accept the invitation, 26 international representatives, and the remaining spots will be filled from the final Development Tour Rankings. During the group stage, competitors will be divided into 32 groups of four, each group containing one seeded player.
Seedings are derived from the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder and the Development Tour Rankings. The two best performers from each group will move on to the knockout stage, which starts at the last 64.
Again, Chrome is recommended for optimal video playback. As the reigning World Youth Champion from 2023, Littler will be the top seed, reflecting his status as world number one. He will be followed in the seeding order by Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki and Ireland’s Keane Barry.
Former runner‑up Jurjen van der Velde, who finished second in 2024, will also return, alongside notable names such as Cam Crabtree, Charlie Manby, Owen Bates and Czech representative Adam Gawlas. The field also showcases 16‑year‑old Lewis Cook from the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) circuit, as well as rising stars Kaya Baysal, Archie Self and Ben Townley, all of whom have stepped up to the Development Tour this season. From the PDC Women’s Series rankings, Eleanor Cairns and Kyana Frauenfelder will be competing. Two‑time champion Gian van Veen will not be defending his title, and former runner‑up Beau Greaves and Yorick Hofkens have opted out of Monday’s competition.
Match play will commence at 11:30 a.m. on Monday at Robin Park Leisure Centre, with group matches contested over a best‑of‑nine‑legs format. The top two players from each group will advance to the last 64, where the knockout rounds will be played as best‑of‑11‑legs. The official programme 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, Tyler Thorpe, among others.
International qualifiers include representatives from Germany (Liam Maendl‑Lawrance, Mika Donnevert), Finland (Mio Varila), Iceland (Alexander Thorvaldsson), Denmark (Daniel Kortbek), Australia (Ky Smith, Bailey Marsh, Jayden Wedemeyer, Mitchel Beswick), New Zealand (Jack Sheppard, Hunter Eyles, Zacarno King), the United States (Zachary Meeks, Conner Olson), Canada (Liam McNeil, Benjamin Goddard), Gibraltar (Craig Galliano), South Africa (Hayden Moodley, Jason Britz), England (Eleanor Cairns, Lewis Cook), the Netherlands (Kyana Frauenfelder), China (Jaichen Song, Zhijun Cui), Japan (Hiroyuki Tanaka), the Philippines (Duyana Decena) and others. Sky Sports continues to be the primary broadcaster for darts, delivering live coverage of the World Grand Prix (until 4 October), the Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December‑3 January). Fans can also stream darts and additional sports content via NOW TV without a contractual commitment. Overall, the 2026 Winmau World Youth Championship promises a blend of established talent and emerging prospects, offering a platform for the sport’s next generation to showcase their skills on a prominent stage.
With a robust field, a substantial prize fund and extensive media coverage, the tournament is set to be a highlight of the darts calendar, drawing attention from enthusiasts worldwide.