PDC World Darts Championship finalist Luke Littler has a chance to rebound from his 2024 defeat to Luke Humphries, but the teenager is all but guaranteed silverware whatever happens at Ally Pally. Littler was beaten 7-4 in the final on his debut in the championship, but has powered his way through the field as he looks to go one better this time out. After surviving a fourth round scare against Ryan Joyce, he overcame Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals and claimed a 6-1 victory over Stephen Bunting in the semis.
The one man standing between the 17-year-old and a first World Championship title is three-time winner Michael van Gerwen. The 2019 champ secured a 6-1 triumph of his own in the semis, with Chris Dobey on the receiving end. Both begin the final with a clean slate, though the younger man is an odds-on favourite. Even if Littler can't complete the job, though, he is expected to take home a tidy consolation prize for the Ballon d'Art.
The Ballon d'Art was introduced for last year's tournament, with the trophy going to the player with the most 180s during the Ally Pally tournament. Luke Humphries completed a double last time out, ending up with 73 maximums en route to toppling Littler in the final.
Littler leads the way with 64 maximums going into the final, with Van Gerwen posting 43 so far - level with the already-eliminated Callan Rydz. No player has ever posted more than 24 maximums in a single World Championship match, so it will be next to impossible for him to be caught.
