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 complete 128‑player lineup will be confirmed once the Development Tour season wraps up this weekend, following Events 21‑24 in Wigan on October 3‑4. The 2026 edition of the World Youth Championship will unfold with 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.
For the best viewing experience, organizers recommend using the Chrome browser to access the video player. Littler, who recently withdrew from Players Championship events 29 and 30 after his loss at the World Series Finals in Amsterdam, effectively ended his chances of qualifying for the Minehead finals in November.
Nevertheless, he remains eligible to compete at the venue and will be a focal point of the youth event. The championship final is scheduled for Sunday, November 29, at Butlin’s Minehead Resort, running alongside the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals. A boosted top prize of £15,000 will be on offer for the winner. The 128‑player field will comprise all age‑qualified PDC Tour Card Holders who have accepted an invitation, 26 international representatives, and the remaining spots will be filled by the top performers in 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 based first on the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder and then on the Development Tour Rankings. The two best players from each group will advance to the knockout phase, which starts at the last‑64 stage.
Again, the Chrome browser is recommended for optimal video playback. As the reigning World Youth Champion from 2023, Littler will be the top seed, reflecting his world‑number‑one status. 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 competitor Adam Gawlas.
The draw also features 16‑year‑old Lewis Cook from the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) circuit, as well as rising stars Kaya Baysal, Archie Self and Ben Townley, who have all stepped up to the Development Tour this season. From the PDC Women’s Series rankings, Eleanor Cairns and Kyana Frauenfelder will also take part. 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 ago, along with Yorick Hofkens, have opted out of Monday’s competition. Match play will commence at 11:30 a.m.
on Monday at the Robin Park Leisure Centre, with group matches contested over the best of nine legs. The top two finishers in each group will move on to the last‑64 round, which will be played in a knockout format over the best of eleven legs. The official roster 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 will represent a broad geographic spread: 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). Sky Sports continues to be the primary broadcaster for darts, covering 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 additional sports content via NOW, with no contractual commitment required.