Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler has set his sights on matching Phil Taylor's legendary record of 16 World Championship titles, but admits he would be "happy" with far fewer.
Second World Crown Sealed in Style
The 18-year-old, known as 'The Nuke', cemented his incredible domination of the sport by clinching his second PDC World Darts Championship on Saturday night. In a commanding display at London's Alexandra Palace, Littler hammered Dutch opponent Gian van Veen by a 7-1 scoreline in the final.
This victory marks Littler's third campaign at Ally Pally, with his only defeat coming in the 2024 final against Luke Humphries. His latest triumph was sealed in style with a 147 checkout, finishing the match with a formidable average of 106.02 to Van Veen's 99.94.
The Long Road to Sixteen
With two world titles already secured at such a young age, comparisons with the sport's greatest, Phil 'The Power' Taylor, are inevitable. Taylor was 29 when he won his first of 16 crowns, a record Littler believes he could potentially reach.
"Obviously it's so far away. 14 to go, another 15 or 16 years I'd say," Littler joked in his post-match interview. "If it happens it happens. I'll be around for a very long time and I'm here to win."
However, the current world number one presented a more pragmatic target. "If I get five or six I'd be happy," he stated, acknowledging the monumental challenge ahead. He emphasised the need for sustained hunger, quoting rival Michael van Gerwen: "once the hunger goes, there's no point playing. There's a lot of hunger left inside of me."
Taylor's Warning: The 'Manchester United Syndrome'
Long before this second title win, Taylor himself had backed Littler's potential to match his record but issued a stern warning about the difficulties involved. He highlighted the immense physical and mental toll of a two-decade pursuit.
"It's a lot of darts, a lot of hotels, a lot of miles travelling," Taylor said in January 2025. "He'd have to play for the next 20 years to get close to my record and for 20 years he's got to be dedicated."
Taylor also described the unique pressure of being the target, dubbing it the 'Manchester United syndrome'. "Everybody raises their game against you, so you have to be at your best in every round," he explained. "Everybody loves to see you up there, and then they love seeing you get knocked off as well." Despite the challenges, Taylor concluded that he believes Littler is "mentally strong enough to deal with it."
The Stoke legend, who won eight consecutive world titles from 1995-2002, also playfully added: "I would have loved to play Luke at my best, we'd have had a cracking game. I think I'd have beaten him but I'm not sure!"
Ally Pally Crowd and Record Prize Money
Littler's latest victory was cheered on by a supportive Alexandra Palace crowd, a contrast to earlier rounds where he faced some boos during his fourth-round match against Rob Cross. "They turned on me but I still won," he recalled. "But anyone wants the crowd on your side... Big respect to them. They paid their good money to cheer me on this time."
The win lands Littler the biggest prize in darts history: a £1 million payday. Runner-up Gian van Veen received a substantial £400,000 for his efforts.
With two world titles secured before his 19th birthday, Luke Littler's darting journey is only just beginning. The quest to catch 'The Power' is officially on, but the young champion is taking a characteristically level-headed view of the historic challenge that lies ahead.
