Luke Littler is on a roll and targeting a first PDC World Darts Championship after a breathtaking season.
‘The Nuke’ was upset by Luke Humphries in the final of the 2024 edition, sparking a blossoming rivalry between the pair, which could dominate the sport for years to come.
The 17-year-old is ranked fourth in the world entering the championship and filled with confidence. Victories in the Grand Slam of Darts, the Premier League and World Series Finals have been some of the highlights from a glittering year as Littler mania has taken the sport by storm.
A sluggish start was soon banished after a record-breaking final set, including a stunning 140.91 average, to dispatch Ryan Meikle before Ian White was also brushed aside to reach the fourth round.
And ‘The Nuke’ survived a scare against Ryan Joyce to advance to the last eight. Here’s everything you need to know about Littler’s next match in this year’s championship and who he might meet further down the line:
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When is Littler playing and what’s his route to the 2025 final?
After defeating Ryan Joyce in a nervy final set, Luke Littler now faces Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, 1 January.
Littler is once again headlining the action in the evening session by being the final match of the day. He will be second on in that evening session, after the Stephen Bunting vs Peter Wright match, which is scheduled to start at approximately 7:10pm GMT. That means we can expect Littler to be on stage around 8:40pm GMT.
Defending world champion Luke Humphries shockingly crashed out in the fourth round at the hands of Wright, meaning an easier run on paper back to the final at the ‘Ally Pally’.
Should he progress, then he would be in the semi-finals and face either Bunting or Wright, while a potential final against one of Chris Dobey, Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen or Callan Rydz would follow.
How can I watch?
You can watch the PDC Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2024/25 on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel from 15 December, with a live stream on Sky Go and Now TV.
Luke Littler celebrates after a nine-dart finish against Luke Humphries in the Premier League Darts play-offs (Getty Images)
World Darts Championship Format
Final: Best of 13 sets
Semi-Final: Best of 11 sets
Quarter-Final: Best of nine sets
Fourth Round: Best of seven sets
Third Round: Best of seven sets
Second Round: Best of five sets
First Round: Best of five sets
Odds
Luke Littler 10/11
Michael van Gerwen 5/1
Gerwyn Price 10/1
Peter Wright 11/1
Stephen Bunting 12/1
Chris Dobey 16/1
World Darts Championship prize money
Winner: £500,000
Runner-Up: £200,000
Semi-Final: £100,000
Quarter-Final: £50,000
Fourth Round: £35,000
Third Round: £25,000
Second Round: £15,000
First Round: £7,500
Total: £2,500,000