Luke Littler Breaks Record Winning World Matchplay, Tops Darts Rankings

Nineteen‑year‑old English darts prodigy Luke Littler defeated Wales' Gerwyn Price 18‑9 to retain the Betfred World Matchplay title in Blackpool. Littler posted a 111.53 average in the final and a tournament‑wide average of 111.04, eclipsing Phil Taylor’s long‑standing record of 106.31. He also hit 12 maximums (180s) in the final and 66 across the event, setting new benchmarks for the competition.

The victory secured Littler’s eighth consecutive major win, adding £225,000 in prize money and bringing his season earnings to £3.14 million, enough to place him atop the PDC Order of Merit with a lead equivalent to a luxury villa or 55 new cars. The win keeps him on course for a clean sweep of all major PDC titles, with the European Championship in Dortmund next on his agenda. Littler said after the match, “I can still get better,” and expressed confidence in sustaining his high performance.

Price, a former world champion, acknowledged Littler’s dominance, calling him “one in a million.” The win has been described by commentator Gabriel Clemens as “something not seen before” in darts history.