World number one and former title‑holder Luke Littler will be the marquee name among the Tour Card Holders and International Qualifiers slated to take part in the upcoming Winmau World Youth Championship on Monday. The tournament’s full roster of 128 competitors will be locked in after the Development Tour season wraps up this weekend, with the final four Development Tour events (Events 21‑24) scheduled for October 3‑4 in Wigan.
The 2026 edition of the World Youth Championship will feature a round‑robin stage followed by knockout rounds, beginning with the last 64 and culminating in the semi‑finals on Monday, October 5, at the Robin Park Leisure Centre. Viewers are advised to use the Chrome browser for optimal video playback.
Littler’s recent schedule saw him withdraw from Players Championship events 29 and 30 after a loss at the World Series Finals in Amsterdam, effectively ending his bid to qualify for the Minehead finals in November. Nevertheless, he remains eligible to compete at the venue.
The championship final is set for Sunday, November 29, 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 field will comprise all age‑eligible PDC Tour Card Holders who accept the invitation, alongside 26 international representatives.
The remaining slots will be filled by the highest‑ranked players on the Development Tour Rankings after the season concludes. During the group stage, the competitors will be divided into 32 groups of four players each.
Every group will contain a single seeded player, with seedings drawn from the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder and the Development Tour Rankings. Each group will contest a round‑robin format, with matches played over the best of nine legs. The two best performers from each group will advance to the knockout phase, which begins at the last‑64 stage and proceeds in a best‑of‑11‑legs format.
Luke Littler, who captured the World Youth Championship title in 2023, will enter the tournament as the top seed, reflecting his status as the world’s number one junior player. He will be followed in 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, joined by notable names 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 rising stars Kaya Baysal, Archie Self and Ben Townley, all of whom have stepped up onto 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 – as well as Yorick Hofkens have opted out of Monday’s competition. The opening matches of the Winmau World Youth Championship will kick off at 11:30 a.m.
on Monday at Robin Park Leisure Centre. After the group phase, the top two players from each pool will move on to the last‑64 knockout round, where the format shifts to best of 11 legs, intensifying the pressure and excitement.
The event’s schedule also lists a comprehensive lineup of international qualifiers, including 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), and the Philippines (Duyana Decena). Sky Sports continues to be the primary broadcaster for darts, delivering live coverage of 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). Fans can also stream darts and related content via the NOW platform, which offers a contract‑free viewing experience. In summary, the 2026 Winmau World Youth Championship promises a blend of seasoned young professionals and emerging talent from around the globe.
With a robust group stage, a high‑stakes knockout round, and a lucrative prize fund, the tournament is set to be a highlight of the darts calendar, showcasing the next generation of champions and providing plenty of drama for fans worldwide.