World Series of Darts Finals 2026: Draw Confirmed, Van Duijvenbode Replaces Leung

The draw for the 2026 World Series of Darts Finals has been made, pairing defending champion Michael van Gerwen with Lourence Ilagan and world No.1 Luke Littler with Danny Noppert — and Dirk van Duijvenbode has been added to the field after Man Lok Leung withdrew through illness.

17–20 Sep

AFAS Live, Amsterdam

£450,000

Total prize fund, £100,000 to the winner

Player field

The Draw

Van Gerwen, chasing back-to-back World Series of Darts Finals titles after beating Littler 11-7 in last year’s final — sealed with a 130 checkout — opens his defence against Lourence Ilagan. Littler, who lost that 2025 final, takes on Danny Noppert in round one this time around.

Elsewhere in the top half of the draw, Luke Humphries plays Jermaine Wattimena, Kevin Doets faces Ross Smith, Stephen Bunting meets Josh Rock, and Rob Cross takes on Ryan Searle. The opening round is split across two sessions on Thursday and Friday before the tournament moves into afternoon and evening sessions over the weekend.

Van Duijvenbode Steps In for Leung

The field also changed in the days after the draw was made. Man Lok Leung, the 27-year-old from Hong Kong who had been drawn to face Sweden’s Viktor Tingström in round one, withdrew from the tournament through illness — a setback that will also keep him out of the final PDC Asian Tour events of the year and the PDC Asian Championship.

Under PDC Rule 3.7, Leung’s vacant spot passed to the first reserve from last month’s Tour Card Holder Qualifier: Dirk van Duijvenbode. The Dutchman steps into Leung’s place in the draw and now faces Tingström on the tournament’s opening night.

Van Duijvenbode arrives in form. He reached his first-ever World Matchplay semi-final in July, beating Gary Anderson 16-13 in the quarter-final before losing 17-5 to Littler, and he already has World Series of Darts Finals pedigree — he was runner-up at the 2022 edition, losing an 11-10 final to Gerwyn Price.

Prize Money and Format

The tournament carries a total prize fund of £450,000, with £100,000 for the champion and £60,000 for the runner-up. The 32-player field is made up largely of players who competed across the six 2026 World Series of Darts events, with the top eight on that Order of Merit seeded.

What’s Next

The World Series of Darts Finals is the first major televised event of the autumn, followed by the start of the World Grand Prix — the tour’s only double-start, double-finish event — on 28 September.

Track how Van Gerwen, Littler and the rest of the field stack up on the live PDC Order of Merit.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the 2026 World Series of Darts Finals?

The 2026 World Series of Darts Finals runs from 17 to 20 September at AFAS Live in Amsterdam, featuring a 32-player field for a total prize fund of £450,000, with £100,000 for the champion and £60,000 for the runner-up.

Who does defending champion Michael van Gerwen play in round one?

Van Gerwen, who beat Luke Littler 11-7 in last year’s final with a 130 checkout to seal the title, opens his defence against Lourence Ilagan.

Who does Luke Littler play in round one?

World No.1 Luke Littler faces Danny Noppert in the first round.

Why has Dirk van Duijvenbode been added to the field?

Man Lok Leung withdrew from the tournament through illness, which will also rule him out of the final PDC Asian Tour events and the PDC Asian Championship. Under PDC Rule 3.7, his spot passed to Dirk van Duijvenbode, the first reserve from last month’s Tour Card Holder Qualifier.

Who does Van Duijvenbode play after replacing Leung?

Van Duijvenbode takes Leung’s place in the draw and faces Viktor Tingström on the tournament’s opening night.

What other first-round matches are confirmed?

Luke Humphries plays Jermaine Wattimena, Kevin Doets plays Ross Smith, Stephen Bunting plays Josh Rock, and Rob Cross plays Ryan Searle among the confirmed first-round pairings.