World number one and former champion Luke Littler is slated to headline the roster of Tour Card Holders and International Qualifiers who will take part in the upcoming Winmau World Youth Championship on Monday. The tournament’s complete 128‑player field will be locked in once the Development Tour season wraps up this weekend, after Events 21‑24 conclude in Wigan on October 3‑4.
The 2026 edition of the World Youth Championship will unfold with a round‑robin stage followed by a knockout phase that runs from the last 64 right through to the semi‑finals, all scheduled for Monday, October 5, at the Robin Park Leisure Centre. Spectators are advised to view any video streams using the Chrome browser for optimal accessibility. Littler’s recent schedule has been a bit turbulent. He withdrew from Players Championship 29 and 30 after a loss at the World Series Finals in Amsterdam, which effectively ended his bid to qualify for the Minehead finals in November.
Nevertheless, he remains eligible to compete at the venue and will be looking to add another title to his impressive résumé. The championship final is slated for Sunday, November 29, at Butlin’s Minehead Resort, running alongside the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals.
In addition to the prestige of the title, the winner will walk away with a boosted top prize of £15,000. The 128‑player lineup will be composed of every age‑qualified PDC Tour Card Holder who accepts the invitation, plus 26 international representatives. The remaining slots will be filled by the top performers in the final Development Tour Rankings. During the group stage, the competitors will be divided into 32 groups of four, each group featuring one seeded player.
Seedings are determined first by the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder and then by the Development Tour Rankings. From each group, the two best‑placed players will advance to the knockout rounds, which commence at the last‑64 stage. The group matches will be contested over the best of nine legs, while the knockout matches will be played over the best of eleven legs.
As the reigning World Youth Champion, Littler entered the tournament as the top seed, reflecting his status as world number one. He is followed in the seedings by Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki and Ireland’s Keane Barry.
Also returning are 2024 runner‑up Jurjen van der Velde, as well as familiar faces such as Cam Crabtree, Charlie Manby, Owen Bates, and Czech competitor Adam Gawlas. Among the younger talent, 16‑year‑old Lewis Cook from the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) circuit will make his debut, alongside other rising stars like 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 also be represented. Two‑time champion Gian van Veen will not be defending his title, and former runner‑up Beau Greaves—who lost to van Veen a year earlier—along with Yorick Hofkens have opted out of the Monday event.
The tournament schedule kicks off at 11:30 a.m. on Monday at the Robin Park Leisure Centre. Group‑stage games will be played in a best‑of‑nine‑legs format, after which the top two from each group move on to the last‑64 knockout round, contested as best‑of‑eleven legs. The official participant list for the 2026 Winmau World Youth Championship includes age‑qualified Tour Card Holders such as 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 diverse set of nations: 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). Beyond the Youth Championship, Sky Sports continues to be the primary broadcaster for darts, covering major events such as the World Grand Prix (running until October 4), the Grand Slam of Darts (November 14‑22), and the World Darts Championship (December 10‑January 3).
Fans can also stream darts and additional sports content through the NOW platform, which offers a contract‑free viewing experience. Overall, the 2026 Winmau World Youth Championship promises a blend of seasoned young professionals and emerging talent from around the globe, all competing for a coveted title and a substantial prize fund. With Luke Littler leading the charge as the top seed, the tournament is set to deliver high‑quality darts action and showcase the next generation of stars in the sport.