Premier League Darts 2026: Who will be part of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries for this 12 months’s match?

World No 1 Luke Littler and defending champion Luke Humphries will headline this 12 months’s Premier League Darts, however who will be part of them?

The roadshow occasion shall be staged on Thursday nights from February till May, as the highest names in world darts compete for the coveted title and a file prize fund of £1.25m, with the general winner selecting up £350,000, and a £10,000 bonus obtainable at every weekly cease.

The line-up shall be revealed on Monday at 3.30pm, dwell on Sky Sports News, with the format of the competitors unchanged this season.

Premier League Darts qualification entails 4 automated spots for the highest gamers on the PDC Order of Merit (world rankings) and 4 wild-card choices chosen by the PDC, making an eight-player area for the season, so who’s in and who’s in rivalry?

Top Four automated spots

Luke Littler

The 2024 Premier League champion and the 2025 runner-up has gained virtually all of the rating majors up to now 12 months. ‘The Nuke’ is the reigning back-to-back World Champion and Grand Slam of Darts winner. He can also be the reigning UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Players Championship Finals winner and shall be odds-on to regain the Premier League crown.

Luke Humphries

The world No 2 dethroned Warrington ace Littler within the 2025 ultimate having completed as runner-up the 12 months earlier than. Humphries can stay up for a 3rd look within the travelling darts roadshow. ‘Cool Hand’ suffered a 3rd consecutive televised main ultimate defeat on the Grand Slam in Wolverhampton however then suffered a 5-1 demolition by the hands of Gian van Veen within the quarter-finals of the Worlds.

Gian van Veen

The 23-year-old Dutchman is among the rising younger stars on the earth of darts and reaffirmed his title credentials by defeating Humphries to assert his maiden TV main title with European Championship victory in Dortmund earlier than destroying the world No 2 within the quarter-finals of the world championship en path to his maiden ultimate at Alexandra Palace the place he was demolished by Littler.

Michael van Gerwen

There are recommendations ‘Mighty Mike’ may miss this 12 months’s match, however the 36-year-old naturally belongs in one of the best darts competitors on the earth. He gained the Premier League title for a record-breaking seventh time after defeating Gerwyn Price 11-5 in 2023 however he misplaced within the Play-Offs in 2024 and did not qualify for Finals Night final 12 months.

Four wild-card choices: The contenders

Jonny Clayton

Clayton has dropped down the Order of Merit, however stays a robust consideration for a wild-card spot as a former Premier League winner in 2021. The 51-year-old Welshman misplaced the finals of the World Masters and the World Cup of Darts, and reached the final 4 on the UK Open, World Matchplay, and World Grand Prix.

Gerwyn Price

The former rugby ace went from having love-hate relationship with the group to changing into one of many followers’ favourites in latest instances. ‘The Iceman’ endured a disappointing Worlds, exiting within the second spherical to Wesley Plaisier, however the Welshman has additionally gained a number of titles, together with the Poland Darts Masters, a number of Players Championship occasions, and the Baltic Sea Darts Open.

Josh Rock

‘Rocky’ was a semi-finalist on the World Matchplay and UK Open, alongside his World Cup win for Northern Ireland with Daryl Gurney. The 24-year-old has a recreation to combine it with the perfect, though he journey on the worlds was stopped by an imposing Justin Hood within the final 16.

Nathan Aspinall

Aspinall has the most effective walk-ons in darts when he comes out to ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers. However, it would not assure him an automated Premier League spot. He completed third within the common standings, successful two nights final 12 months. The Stockport ace was solely stopped within the third spherical of the Worlds by an impressed Kevin Doets.

Stephen Bunting

‘The Bullet’ has slipped out of the highest 4 of the Order of Merit placing his Premier League ambitions unsure. However, his reputation with followers helps his case, however judged on his very poor autumn and a disappointing world championship there are doubts about his participation. The St Helens star arrives in type together with his iconic ‘Titanium’ walk-on music, however will we see it within the Premier League?

Gary Anderson

The 55-year-old Anderson stays defiant that he won’t be part of the Premier League. Across 2025, Anderson scooped up his third European Tour trophy and noteworthy thirtieth Players Championship title, in addition to making a quarter-final run on the World Grand Prix. He stated: “No, no, I’m quite happy, I need to concentrate on my rankings. If I’ve done the Premier League, Europeans gone, Players Championship gone. I couldn’t give a monkey’s [if I’m world champion]. I can’t do it, it’s been great the years I’ve done it. But I can’t do it for 16 weeks on the road then try to get back for them. I can’t do it.”

Ryan Searle

Searle is nervous his face “doesn’t fit” the Premier League alongside Littler and has hinted that he would not anticipate a spot, regardless of a run to the semi-finals of the Worlds. “I’ve kind of said privately that the Premier League is something that I would like to do once, just to say that I’ve done it,” he stated. “Whether it’s this year or not… if you look at Chris Dobey last year, he kind of had a similar path to me, where in previous majors he didn’t do a huge amount and then got to the Worlds and made a semi and they put him in. Not sure whether my face fits for that, but we’ll see what happens.”

Ricky Evans

Cult hero ‘Rapid Ricky’ would gentle up the Premier League if he have been to be given a spot within the competitors having wowed the Ally Pally crowd together with his fast-paced play and energetic character, however he is an actual outsider. “Tell me a darts match that I’ve been in that has been boring, that’s what I’m saying. I’m fun, I can make a 3-0 defeat seem fun. I’m box office. I’m not Premier League standard, but cor, you’d have a better Premier League if I was in it! That’s the dream but I say it every year and it never works, because I’m not good enough. If I’m world champion, they have to put me in.”

Anybody else?

James Wade is a extremely embellished Premier League star having gained the title in 2009. The 11-time main winner has not competed within the competitors since 2022, the place he completed third within the desk to achieve Finals Night. “I’m not what they need and I’m not probably what they want, but I want to be there a hundred per cent,” Wade stated on the World Matchplay.

Former world champion Rob Cross misplaced to Littler within the final 16 of the Worlds and that defeat will see him drop to twentieth on the earth. He completed runner-up to Van Gerwen within the 2019 Premier league and seventh final 12 months, however has struggled for outcomes.

Former UK Open champion Danny Noppert has made nice strides in recent times and has damaged into the world’s high 10. He reached the semi-finals of the Masters, Grand Slam, World Grand Prix and European Championship final 12 months, however will it’s sufficient for a spot within the Premier League after his disappointing exit on the Worlds to No 86 Justin Hood?

How does the Premier League work?

Matches happen each Thursday night time between February and May and are performed in several venues across the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe, together with Germany, the Netherlands with Antwerp, Belgium a brand new venue this 12 months.

Since 2022, the format has been an eight-person knockout bracket each night time, with every of the gamers assembly as soon as throughout week 1-7 after which once more in weeks 9-15 with weeks 8 and 16 drawn based mostly on league standings.

The factors system is as follows:

• Nightly winner: 5 factors
• Runner-up: 3 factors
• Losing semi-finalists: 2 factors

After week 16, the highest 4 within the desk contest the semi-finals and the ultimate at The O2 in London.

First performs fourth and second performs third within the best-of-19-leg semi-finals earlier than a best-of-21-leg ultimate.

Premier League Darts winners