Jonny Clayton and Nick Kenny kept the Welsh momentum alive with a 4-1 rout of Lithuania before sweeping Thailand 4-1 in Frankfurt. Their dominant play earned them the top spot in Group C and a Saturday face‑off with the United States at the Eissporthalle for the tournament schedule ahead of the second round match.

Germany, the host nation, mirrored Wales’ confidence with a 4-2 win over New Zealand. Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko secured a spot in the next round, where they will confront the Czech Republic. Their victory underlines the home crowd’s influence and keeps Germany in the hunt for a historic title in the World Cup tournament season.

In Group D, William O'Connor and Mickey Mansell topped the standings with a 4-2 win over Gibraltar’s Craig Galliano and Justin Hewitt. Their triumph sets up a clash with Poland, while the top‑seeded nations—England, Netherlands, Northern Ireland and Scotland—enter the tournament in the second round, reshaping the draw for the competition ahead of the final stages.

England’s top‑seeded pair, Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, will face Spain, while defending champions Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney prepare to defend their title against Belgium. Scotland’s Gary Anderson and Cameron Menzies take on Norway, and the Netherlands duo of Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen clash with Sweden. France meets Latvia to close the round of the tournament day.