World number one and former champion Luke Littler will 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 full complement of 128 competitors will be confirmed once the Development Tour season wraps up this weekend, after Events 21 through 24 are staged 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 begins at the last‑64 and runs through to the semi‑finals. Both stages are scheduled for Monday, 5 October, at the Robin Park Leisure Centre.
Viewers are advised to use the Chrome browser for optimal video playback. Littler’s path to the event has been eventful. He withdrew from Players Championship 29 and 30 after a loss at the World Series Finals in Amsterdam, a decision that effectively ended his chance to qualify for the Minehead finals in November. Nonetheless, he remains eligible to compete at the venue and will be a focal point of the youth competition.
The championship final is slated for Sunday, 29 November, at Butlin’s Minehead Resort, running alongside the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals. The prize fund has been increased, with the winner’s share now standing at £15,000. The 128‑player field will be composed of every age‑qualified PDC Tour Card Holder who accepts an invitation, alongside 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 containing a seeded player. Seedings are derived from the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder and, where necessary, the Development Tour Rankings. The two highest‑placed players from each group will advance to the knockout rounds, which commence at the last‑64 and are contested in a single‑elimination format. Matches in the group phase will be best of nine legs, while the knockout stage will shift to best of eleven legs.
As the world’s top‑ranked junior, Littler will be the top seed, reflecting his status as the reigning World Youth Champion from 2023. 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 return, accompanied by notable names such as Cam Crabtree, Charlie Manby, Owen Bates, and the Czech representative Adam Gawlas. The tournament also showcases emerging talent like 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 stepped up to the Development Tour this season.
From the PDC Women’s Series rankings, Eleanor Cairns and Kyana Frauenfelder will be in the mix. 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, has also opted out, as has Yorick Hofkens. The schedule for Monday’s event at Robin Park Leisure Centre begins at 11:30 am, with group matches played over a best‑of‑nine‑legs format.
The top two from each group will then move on to the last‑64, where the format shifts to best‑of‑eleven legs in a straight knockout. Below is a snapshot of the confirmed participants for the 2026 Winmau World Youth Championship, listed by age‑qualified Tour Card Holders and International Qualifiers: 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. International Qualifiers: 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), Duyana Decena (Philippines). Beyond the youth event, Sky Sports continues to serve as the primary broadcaster for darts, covering major tournaments such as the World Grand Prix (through 4 October), the Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November), and the World Darts Championship (10 December‑3 January).
Fans can also stream live darts action via NOW TV without a long‑term contract, ensuring broad access to the sport’s biggest stages.