Luke Littler defended his Betfred World Matchplay title at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, becoming the first player since Michael van Gerwen to successfully defend the crown and extending his record of winning every PDC major title in 2026 so far. He reiterated his dream to become the ‘greatest darts player ever’.

He smashed the highest tournament average, posting 111.04 across his five matches to beat Phil Taylor’s 2010 best of 106.31, and broke his own record for most 180s at the event. PDC chief executive Matt Porter noted Littler’s £3m prize‑money haul, calling it unprecedented.

Comparisons to Phil Taylor remain formidable: Littler would need to win every World Matchplay until 2040 to match Taylor’s all‑time tally. Taylor won 38 consecutive matches during his streak and lost only eight times in 24 years at the event, yet Littler’s scoring is already within half a point of Taylor’s 2009 European Championship average.

Looking ahead, Littler targets the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts, European Championship and the Players Championship Finals, aiming to sweep every major and big TV event in a calendar year and chase 16 world titles to rival Taylor’s legacy.