Littler and Van Veen meet in youngest-ever PDC world final at Alexandra Palace

Luke Littler and Gian van Veen face each other in the PDC World Championship final at Alexandra Palace tonight in what is the youngest world final on record, their combined age 41. Littler is the defending champion and will finish the tournament as world number one. Van Veen has risen from No 10 to No 3 in the world rankings during the event, supplanting Michael van Gerwen as the top-ranked Dutch player; a victory would move him to world No 2.

The pair met in the 2023 world youth final and have met several times since. Van Veen had the better head-to-head in 2025, winning three of five matches, while Littler won the two televised encounters, including a 10-4 UK Open quarter-final and a notable World Grand Prix meeting. Van Veen has been described as the tournament's standout performer, coming through a tougher half of the draw with wins over Luke Humphries and Gary Anderson.

His match average of 108.28 is the highest of the event, and he has won 12 of 13 deciding legs this year. Van Veen's route to the final: Cristo Reyes 3-1 (98.91), Alan Soutar 3-1 (108.28), Madars Razma 4-1 (97.91), Charlie Manby 4-1 (98.48), Luke Humphries 5-1 (105.41), Gary Anderson 6-3 (102.99).

Littler has dropped only three of his 28 sets en route to the final, with a notable contest against Rob Cross among mostly one-sided victories.

Key Topics

Sports, Luke Littler, Gian Van Veen, Alexandra Palace, Pdc World Championship, Professional Darts Corporation