Luke Littler v Michael van Gerwen – how the rivals match up ahead of final
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Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen will face off in a blockbusting World Championship final on Friday night. They are the two biggest names in the sport, with Littler trying to win his first world title while Van Gerwen is chasing his fourth. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how the players match up.
Van Gerwen has spent a lot of 2024 telling his fellow players on the PDC Tour that there is no reason to be scared of Littler, despite his unprecedented success. And the pair have developed a great rivalry during the teenager’s first 12 months on the scene with their 12-match contest tied at 6-6.
There were some high-profile victories for Van Gerwen in there, notably the final of the Dutch Darts Masters and the opening round of the World Matchplay, but Littler won the semi-final in the World Series of Darts. Ever since he announced himself to the world this time last year, Littler has not only been the biggest name in darts but also transcended it.
He finished second in BBC Sports Personality of the Year and was the UK’s most Googled sportsman of 2024, as well as making a host of appearances on prime-time chat shows. And that has undoubtedly put Van Gerwen’s nose out of joint as the Dutchman was the main man following Phil Taylor’s retirement. Winning the title would restore some order in his mind.
Littler was the pre-tournament favourite and has so far lived up to the bill. He put in a record-breaking performance in his opening round win against Ryan Meikle, with the highest ever single-set average, but was made to work hard against Ian White and was taken to a final-set decider against Ryan Joyce in the fourth round.
