The stage is set. A thrilling 2025 World Darts Championship concludes with a dream final – Michael van Gerwen vs Luke Littler. The finest player of his generation against the hottest young star in darts. The Green Machine vs the Nuke, who was just six when Van Gerwen was winning his first of three (so far) world titles in 2014.
It has all the makings of being one of the greatest games in the sport’s history. Picking a winner is incredibly tough. While Littler was the pre-tournament favourite, Van German is back to his blistering best after a poor 2024 by his lofty standards.
Ahead of tonight’s final, which will see the victor bank a whopping £500,000, here’s all you need to know about how the pair’s rivalry has developed over the last year…. Their head-to-head record is even, with six wins apiece in PDC events last year. The pair have met just twice in the last six months, with Littler winning both of those matches.
However, the biggest match between the pair to date, in the first round of the World Matchplay, went the way of Van Gerwen, who won 10-6 before losing in the final to Luke Humphries. . GET INVOLVED! What's your prediction for the World Championship final? Tell us in the comments section.
Van Gerwen was a teen prodigy himself, although he didn’t become a major force until his early 20s. Even so, during the 2024 World Championship, Van Gerwen insisted he was a superior player in his teenage years. “I think if you look like talent-wise then I think I was slightly better but he doesn't care whoever he plays and that's why I admire him,” he said.
