World Darts Championship final LIVE: Luke Littler vs Michael van Gerwen updates from PDC blockbuster tonight
The 17-year-old is the favourite as he takes on three-time world champion Van Gerwen
Luke Littler will face Michael van Gerwen in a blockbuster final of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace tonight, with the 17-year-old gunning for glory at the second time of asking in this tournament.
Littler lost last year’s final to Luke Humphries but he heads into the 2025 edition as firm favourite, having beaten Stephen Bunting 6-1 in a dominant semi-final display.
But he still has to get past the more experienced Van Gerwen, who himself eased to a 6-1 semi-final victory over Chris Dobey last night, though the three-time champion has lost in his last two final appearances in 2020 and 2023.
Whatever happens, Ally Pally is set for a blockbuster final between two players who represent the present and future of the sport – so will Littler become the tournament’s youngest-ever winner, or will the Dutchman reclaim his crown and a top prize of £500,000?
Follow all of the action from Ally Pally in our live blog below:
World Darts Championship prize money: How much will winner earn at Ally Pally?
As the most prestigious tournament in the sport, the World DartsChampionship carries the highest prize fund too, with a total pot of around £2.5m.
This time last year, much was made of a then-16-year-old Littler potentially taking home £500,000 for winning the competition, though he eventually had to ‘settle’ for the runners-up prize of £200,000.
A large chunk of this is saved for the winner, who bags £500,000 and also takes home the Sid Waddell Trophy, named in honour of famed darts commentator Sid Waddell.
The losing finalist takes home £200,000, while players who lose in the semi-finals are rewarded with £100,000, and those who only make the quarter-finals get £50,000 each.
World Darts Championship prize money: How much will winner earn at Ally Pally?
Luke Littler is the favourite in the 2025 final against Michael Van Gerwen
Premier League Darts 2025: Schedule, tickets, venues and potential line-up including Luke Littler
Turning our attention away briefly, and to the next big tournament of 2025 – Premier League Darts.
The Littler effect continues to transform the sport, with Belfast’s SSE Arena hosting the opening night of the new season on 6 February in 2025, leaving just a month between the final at ‘Ally Pally’ and the start of a wild tour throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe with 17 venues in total.
Reigning champion Littler will return, having produced nine darts from the gods on his way to victory in May, while world No. 1 Luke Humphriesis sure to be back, as eight players battle for both the prestigious title and £1m in prize money.
The season-ending Play-Offs conclude on an action-packed night at The O2 in London on 29 May, with the final places up for grabs in the coming days.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 Premier League and a potential line-up.
Premier League Darts 2025: Schedule, tickets, venues and line-up
‘The Nuke’ won this year’s tournament to cap a meteoric rise, with the world’s best players battling it out each week around the UK, Ireland and Europe
World Darts Championship Format & Odds
Tonight’s final will be decided via the best of 13 sets – in other words, the first player to win seven sets wins the tie.
In the event of a 6-6 tie, then a sudden-death leg will be played. There would be no throw for the bull in any sudden-death legs.
Odds
Luke Littler 8/11
Michael van Gerwen 14/5
How can I watch?
You can watch the PDC Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2024/25 on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel, with a live stream on Sky Go and Now TV.
Live coverage begins at 8pm tonight.
So when is Littler playing and what’s his route to the 2025 final?
After defeating Nathan Aspinall 5-2 in an entertaining quarter-final, Luke Littler then beat Stephen Bunting in the semi-finals on Thursday 2 in rather more routine fashion.
Littler therefore once again will be the headline attraction in the final itself, where he will face one of the icons of the game in Michael van Gerwen.
The final is tonight - Friday 3 January 2025 - and is scheduled to start at 8.00pm GMT.
Luke Littler sends warning to Michael Van Gerwen after revealing final lesson
Luke Littler is determined to go one better this year and win the World Darts Championship having reached the final for the second year running with a confident 6-1 victory over Stephen Bunting in the semi-finals are Alexandra Palace.
Littler, who lost the 2024 final 7-4 to Luke Humphries, has been the overwhelming favourite to lift the title this year but faces a resurgent Michael Van Gerwen in the showpiece this evening.
The 17-year-old started the tournament slowly and fought through nervous wins against Ryan Meikle, Ian White and Ryan Joyce in the early rounds before finding his form and sweeping past Nathan Aspinall and Bunting in the quarter and semi-finals respectively.
Luke Littler sends warning to Michael Van Gerwen after revealing final lesson
The 17-year-old says he’s learned a lot since losing the 2024 final to Luke Humphries and aims to go one better tonight
Semi-finals fizzle out but Littler and Van Gerwen set up fascinating World Championship final
If ever there can be a calm before the storm amid the raucous, alcohol-fuelled cauldron of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, this may have been it.
While semi-final night can often be the highlight of the entire tournament, the 2025 edition crackled at points but never truly turned into an evening of darting classics that will live long in the memory. But the reward comes in what it has set up.
The storm will be Friday night’s final. The final that, ever since Luke Littler was put in the same half of the draw as reigning champion Luke Humphries meaning the showpiece could never be a repeat of 12 months ago, fans and organisers alike would have been hoping for.
Semi-finals fizzle out but Littler and Van Gerwen set up fascinating final
Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen were too good for their semi-final foes on a flat night at Ally Pally but Friday evening’s showpiece promises to be a classic
What time does Luke Littler play Michael van Gerwen in the World Darts Championship final tonight?
Luke Littler is on a roll and targeting a first PDC World Darts Championship after a breathtaking season.
‘The Nuke’ was upset by Luke Humphries in the final of the 2024 edition, sparking a blossoming rivalry between the pair, which could dominate the sport for years to come.
The 17-year-old was ranked fourth in the world entering the championship and filled with confidence. Victories in the Grand Slam of Darts, the Premier League and World Series Finals have been some of the highlights from a glittering year as Littler mania has taken the sport by storm.
A sluggish start was soon banished after a record-breaking final set, including a stunning 140.91 average, to dispatch Ryan Meikle before Ian White was also brushed aside to reach the fourth round.
And ‘The Nuke’ survived a scare against Ryan Joyce to advance to the last eight, before producing some superb darts in his quarter-final against Nathan Aspinall, then dispatching Stephen Bunting in the semis. Here’s everything you need to know about Littler’s next - and final! - match in this year’s championship and who he meets for the biggest prize.
What time does Littler play Van Gerwen in the World Darts Championship final?
‘The Nuke’ continues his quest to win a first world title at Alexandra Palace
World Darts Championship final LIVE
The PDC Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2024/25 reaches a thrilling finale to conclude a packed festive period of action at Alexandra Palace.
And there will be a new champion after holder Luke Humphries was stunned by two-time winner Peter Wright in the last 16.
As the Luke Littler effect sweeps across the sport, ‘The Nuke’ entered this year’s championship as favourite and has delivered on that billing, setting up a doozy of a final against three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen after each man secured a dominant last four win.
The event is expected to begin around 8pm GMT.
World Darts Championship final LIVE
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of tonight’s World Darts Championship final at Alexandra Palace.
Luke Littler faces Michael van Gerwen for the title after both recorded 6-1 wins in their semi-final ties, with Littler now appearing in his second final in a row.
MVG last appeared in the final of this tournament in 2023, and this will be his seventh appearance overall – with three wins and three losses so far.
We’ll have all the latest build-up and updates right here.
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