European Darts Championship 2026 Draw: Price vs Cross Headlines Dortmund

The European Darts Championship 2026 draw is out, and Gerwyn Price v Rob Cross is the headline first-round tie when the 32-player field heads to Dortmund from October 22nd to 25th. Luke Littler faces William O’Connor, Luke Humphries takes on Ryan Searle, and defending champion Gian van Veen opens against Andrew Gilding.

I rate Price v Cross as the tie of the round. Price won the European Grand Prix in April, Cross took Players Championship 22 in June, and Michael van Gerwen v Kevin Doets sits alongside them to give the first round real bite.

There is little time to prepare. The field was settled at the Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht, the 15th and final European Tour event, with the top 32 on the Order of Merit qualifying. The first round is on Thursday October 22nd and Friday October 23rd, and the new champion is crowned on Sunday October 25th.

What Is The Full European Darts Championship 2026 Draw?

Player		Player
Ross Smith	v	Karel Sedlacek
James Wade	v	Damon Heta
Gian van Veen	v	Andrew Gilding
Luke Woodhouse	v	Dirk van Duijvenbode
Niels Zonneveld	v	Cameron Menzies
Gerwyn Price	v	Rob Cross
Danny Noppert	v	Stephen Bunting
Luke Humphries	v	Ryan Searle
Wessel Nijman	v	Martin Schindler
Ryan Joyce	v	Jermaine Wattimena
Jonny Clayton	v	Niko Springer
Josh Rock	v	Chris Dobey
Krzysztof Ratajski	v	Dave Chisnall
Kevin Doets	v	Michael van Gerwen
Nathan Aspinall	v	Cristo Reyes
Luke Littler	v	William O’Connor

Ross Smith is top seed after winning two European Tour titles this year. Van Veen, 24, won his first major individual televised title here last year. Gilding is no easy opener either. He won the UK Open in 2023.

Gerwyn Price vs Rob Cross: Which Other Ties Stand Out?

Price is seeded 13th and Cross, a former world champion, 20th. Price beat Scott Williams 6-3 in Maastricht before Niels Zonneveld knocked him out 6-4 in the last 16.

Zonneveld then won the whole thing, beating Danny Noppert 8-5 in the final. The left-hander is fourth seed in Dortmund and starts against Scotland’s Cameron Menzies.

Stephen Bunting made a last-gasp move to qualify and now meets Noppert. He has reached the semi-finals at each of the last three European Championships.

Van Gerwen is only 19th seed, but he won this title four years in a row from 2014 to 2017. He lost 6-5 to O’Connor in Maastricht, as our report on Van Gerwen’s Dutch Darts Championship exit shows. Doets, seeded 14th, reached his first European Tour final this season.

Elsewhere, James Wade plays Damon Heta, Josh Rock meets Chris Dobey, Jonny Clayton faces Niko Springer and Nathan Aspinall takes on Cristo Reyes, who beat Dobey 6-2 in Maastricht with a 110.26 average. Our European Championship draw and schedule report has more on the field.

Can Luke Littler Win The European Championship At Last?

Littler is 19, a two-time world champion and 11th seed. The European Championship is the one major individual televised title missing from his collection. He won two European Tour events from three appearances this year, the Poland Darts Open and the Czech Darts Open.

His 2026 already includes the World Championship, the Premier League, the UK Open and the World Matchplay. O’Connor will not be overawed. He averaged 101.83 against Van Gerwen in Maastricht, before losing 6-4 to Luke Woodhouse.

Humphries, the world number two, is 12th seed. He lost last year’s final to Van Veen in a last-leg decider, so this is about revenge. He won the World Grand Prix this month and faces Searle, who won Players Championship 7 in March.

For me, Littler is the man to beat. He has every other big title, and the draw keeps him away from Humphries and Van Veen until the latter stages.

The Grand Slam of Darts runs from November 14th to 22nd, and the World Championship starts on December 11th. Our PDC majors coverage tracks the run-in.

How Much Is The European Darts Championship 2026 Prize Money?

The pot is up from £600,000 to £750,000, and the winner’s cheque rises by £30,000 to £150,000. Every player takes home at least £7,500.

Result	Prize Money
Winner	£150,000
Runner-up	£80,000
Semi-finalists	£50,000
Quarter-finalists	£35,000
Second round	£20,000
First round	£7,500
Total	£750,000

What Time Is The European Darts Championship On TV?

ITV4 and ITVX show every session free-to-air in the UK, with Wayne Mardle and Chris Mason among the likely voices. Evening sessions start at 6pm UK time, 7pm in Germany.

Date	Time (UK)	TV
Thursday October 22nd	6pm	ITV4, ITVX
Friday October 23rd	6pm	ITV4, ITVX
Saturday October 24th	12pm and 6pm	ITV4, ITVX
Sunday October 25th	12pm and 6pm (final)	ITV4, ITVX

Your Questions Answered

What Is The Prize Money For The European Darts Championship?

£750,000, up from £600,000. The winner collects £150,000, the runner-up £80,000 and the semi-finalists £50,000 each. Quarter-finalists earn £35,000, second-round losers £20,000 and first-round losers £7,500, the guaranteed minimum for every player in the 32-man field.

How Much Was The Last European Tour Event Worth?

The Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht, the final event of the 15, had £230,000 in prize money, with £35,000 to the winner. The European Championship then adds its own £750,000 pot for the top 32 on the Order of Merit.

Who Does Luke Littler Play In The European Championship?

Littler, seeded 11th, opens against William O’Connor in Dortmund. Humphries, seeded 12th, plays Ryan Searle, and Price meets Cross. The first round is on Thursday October 22nd and Friday October 23rd.

How Can I Watch The European Championship Darts In The UK?

ITV4 and ITVX show the whole event free-to-air. Evening sessions start at 6pm UK time, Saturday and Sunday also have afternoon sessions from 12pm, and the final is on Sunday October 25th from 6pm. Viewers outside the UK can use PDCTV, subject to local rights.

For every session this week, check our darts on TV today guide, and see how the field stacks up in our darts rankings.

Follow Nine Dart News on X and Facebook for every darts result.