PDC World Darts Championship 2025: Luke Littler's Journey from Football Dreams to World Champion and £500,000 Prize

Over 18 years ago, a 17-year-old Michael van Gerwen burst onto the darts scene with a historic victory at the World Masters. Fast forward nearly two decades, and van Gerwen found himself facing Luke Littler, another 17-year-old prodigy who wasn’t even born when MVG made his mark. 

Their clash at Alexandra Palace symbolised a generational showdown, with Littler aiming to become the youngest PDC World Champion in history – a record held by van Gerwen since 2014.

Littler Wins His Maiden World Crown

The final began with Littler seizing control, breaking MVG’s throw and storming to a commanding 4-0 lead as the Dutch legend struggled with missed doubles. Although van Gerwen briefly rallied with a stunning 132 checkout to claim his first set, the Warrington Wonderkid displayed maturity beyond his years.

Littler ultimately closed out the match with a 7-3 victory, securing his place in history as the youngest world champion. Dominant and composed throughout, Littler fulfilled his immense promise and etched his name onto the Sid Waddell Trophy, heralding the dawn of a new era in darts.

Born to Play in the Premier League? 

Following his landmark victory, we sat down with the new world champion to capture his immediate emotions. Littler was candid and humble as he reflected on his achievement and his meteoric rise in the sport.

Two years ago, darts commentator Stuart Pyke famously declared Michael Smith “born to be world champion.” With Littler’s youth, natural talent, and record-breaking achievement, we asked him whether he believed he, too, was destined to claim the sport’s ultimate prize.

The 17-year-old initially disagreed with the statement, revealing that it wasn’t until about six years ago that he began taking darts seriously; before that, he believed football was his true calling.

“I wouldn’t say born to be world champion because I was mainly focusing on my football,” Littler told SportsBoom.com. 

“But these past six, seven years where I’ve fully took it on and focused on it, yeah!”

Half a Million Quid in the Bank 

The 17-year-old’s journey to the top has been remarkable. Not only is he now a world champion, but he also clinched an extraordinary £500,000 in prize money – by far the largest sum of his young career. 

When asked if he’d already thought about treating himself after his record-breaking win, Littler’s response reflected his grounded character.

“They probably will be when I finally get my head around how much money I’ve just picked up, but it’s not about the money, it’s the trophy,” he said. 

“I don’t really like talking about the money, it’s just there.”

With the Sid Waddell Trophy now in his possession, the sky is the limit for the Warrington Wonderkid as he continues with what promises to be an extraordinary and record shattering career.