Luke Littler becomes youngest world darts champion at 17

Luke Littler became the youngest world champion in darts history on Friday, as the 17-year-old Englishman lived up to his status as Britain’s latest sporting superstar.

Littler beat three-time champion Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in the final at a raucous Alexandra Palace in London.

“Everyone dreams of lifting this trophy,” said Littler, who also received the winner’s check for 500,000 pounds ($620,000). “I can’t believe it.”

It completes the remarkable rise of Littler, a prodigy from Warrington, northwest England, who first threw a dart at the age of 18 months, was a junior world champion in 2023 and reached the world final last year – at age 16 – before losing to top-ranked Luke Humphries.

It catapulted him to stardom, making him famous far beyond darts while elevating the sport into the mainstream, as it did at its peak in the 1980s.

Littler handled the enormous pressure and expectations on him to return to the final 12 months later and went 4-0 up in sets against Van Gerwen, a darts phenomenon himself as a youngster and with titles worldwide in 2014, ’17 and ’19.

PHOTOS: Luke Littler becomes youngest world darts champion at 17

The Dutchman made it 4-1, 5-2 and 6-3, but Littler could not be stopped and he was reduced to tears after completing the winning double.

“Wow, wow, wow,” he could be seen saying.

“At 2-0, I started to get nervous,” Littler said later, “but I was like, ‘Relax.’ To get it over with is special.

Van Gerwen was previously the youngest world champion in the Professional Darts Corporation’s elite competition, winning the 2014 final at age 24. Jelle Klaasen won the now-defunct British Darts Organization world title in 2006 at age 21.

Van Gerwen said losing his record “hurts,” but he praised Littler.

“Every 17 years a star is born,” Van Gerwen said, “and he’s one of them.”

Many were already wondering if Littler could match Phil Taylor’s remarkable record of 16 world titles. Claiming a first title at 17 will now energize this conversation.

“Luke Littler has become a winner, not just a great dart thrower,” John Part, a three-time Canadian world champion, told the Associated Press before the world championship, of Littler challenging Taylor’s 16. “He was the best at every age level he went through, so aware of how to win and he’s so comfortable with it. He doesn’t feel any pressure.