The winning moment seemed to drain all the strength from his body,He leaned against the drinks table and let it take all his weight, clasped his face in his hands, cried a little,As if only just feeling the shape and hue of the unspeakable thing he had just done,As if some great act of violence had just left his hands,Perhaps it had.

And before the double world champion, before the social media phenomenon, before the commercial giant, before the global icon, there was Luke Littler the darts obsessive.A kid steeped and stewed in the heritage of the game, fully aware of the landmarks he is now chasing, the tapestry of greatness into which he is now indelibly woven.More from Luke Littler[On the emerging rivalry with Van Veen] We’re always gonna have battles – on the pro tour, Euro tour, majors – and who knows, we might be back here in the final next year.My family and friends have supported me all the way.This is why we’re here, and it’s not stopping anytime soon.

We’re still on this rollercoaster.The crowd are back on my side, I’m world champion and there’s nothing more I can say.Thank you!The scoring maybe wasn’t my best game of the tournament.In the last two games I took out all my chances; tonight I didn’t.But yeah, Luke wasn’t in the mood to give me any more chances.

He played phenomenally; he put me under pressure every leg.He’s a fantastic player, that’s why he’s world No1 – by a margin now.I would’ve liked to lift the title today, I would’ve liked to give Luke a game.I’m very proud to have reached the final, No3 in the world now and Dutch No1, but obviously I’m disappointed.I wanted to play well today.

I played okay but I missed too many chances.Hopefully 2026 will be a fantastic year.The young boys are here – Luke, Josh Rock, Wessel Nijman, even Luke Humphries is still young.This game is for the young players now and we’re here to show how it’s done.“Gian’s average would’ve won three finals since 2015,” says Max Williams.

“And he’s had the most one sided beating since 2009.Crazy.”It feels a bit like Phil Taylor beating John Part 7-0 in 2001.I’d back Van Veen to get revenge one day, just as Part did.But he’ll need some serious mental strength when they next meet in a world final.

More from Luke LittlerI wasn’t happy going into the break 1-0 down, but I started playing a bit better* from there.I said to myself: give it time, you’ll find it, and it all went to plan.But Gian – what a tournament, he can be very happy with himself.In every set he was there, he was behind me and I had to take my chances.I was getting closer and closer but I couldn’t think about the trophy, even though it’s right next to you on stage.

I had to keep going… and I’ve done it.I say it every year: someone has to put a wasp in here.They don’t just come out of nowhere; no chance![On become the first man to win £1m in a single world championship] It’s life-changing for everyone, with the prize money doubled from round one.And it has increased the gap to Luke Humphries, so I'm clear at No1.[What will be your first purchase?] Ah, I dunno.

I can’t change car just yet!* A bit!!!It feels amazing.I’ve got to say thank you to John McDonald [MC] and George Noble [referee]; what a fantastic career they’ve had.Russ Bray retired in my first year and now these two legends have retired.I’m a bit late to the party!Everyone knows what happened with Anthony Joshua and his team.Rest in peace to his friends.

But just like AJ said: The first time was so nice/I had to do it twice.“You keep saying van Veen isn’t playing badly, but he is,” says Chris.“It was evident even back in the first set … relying on 100+ finishes is never going to last.Although not a fan of 3DA as a metric the fact the GVV is barely at 100 is indicative of how much he is struggling tonight.”I would politely disagree with that.

I guess I’d argue he was relying on 100+ finishes because Littler was beasting treble 20 all the time,Sir Chris Hoy brings the Sid Waddell trophy on stage and presents to to Luke Littler, who cavorts round the stage with what is fast becoming his property,That was mind-alteringly good, the kind of merciless performance Phil Taylor used to serve up as his irresistible peak,But Taylor was a grizzled, gnarled fortysomething, not a teenager,“Bjorn Borg’s first serve, the Germans’ fifth penalty and Littler’s third dart eh?” coos Gary Naylor.

Littler leans on his table, hands over his face, trying to process that he is a back-to-back world champion at the age of 18,Van Veen, behind his back, points to Littler and applauds,He has taken some horrible medicine with a lot of class,Van Veen finishes with an average of 99,94, which covers cricket as well as snooker.

Littler’s stats are awesome:106.02 average46.94% checkouts16 180sFour 100+ finishes, including a 17021 of the last 24 legsHahahaha, what an utter, utter genius.Not content with redefining darts, Littler borrows from snooker by winning the match with a 147 finish.That was, quite simply, one of the greatest performances in the history of darts.

Eighth set: *Littler (6) 2-1 (1) Van Veen Littler is almost doing what he wants.He almost takes out 150, wiring D15, but returns to move within one leg of a devastating victory.It sounds ridiculous but Gian van Veen started too well.He poked the bear by winning four legs in a row to go 2-0 up in set two; he has only won three legs since.Eighth set: *Littler (6) 1-1 (1) Van Veen Van Veen smiles wryly after winning a rare leg, his third in the last 22.

Eighth set: Littler (6) 1-0 (1) Van Veen* Littler starts the eighth and final set with a 180, because why on earth wouldn’t you? Van Veen hits a 180 of his own to leave 8.No matter: Littler hits D3 to hold throw.Van Veen’s body language isn’t the best, understandably, but he is still throwing very well.“Am following along from Sydney where I’m having the most Australian brekkie of flat-white-and-avo-on-toast before heading to the cricket,” writes Emma John.“Luke, Lando… do all British world champions have to be named after Star Wars characters this year? Is it a movie tie-in?”I’ll believe it when Oleksandr Usyk loses his world boxing crown to Nottinghamshire heavyweight Obi-Wan Johnson.

Littler 6-1 Van Veen So anyway: Van Veen starts the leg, on his own throw, with six perfect darts – and Littler still wins it.He has won, I think, 18 of the last 20 legs.That’s despite Van Veen lifting his match average to 101 in that time.It’s obscene and entirely preposterous.Seventh set: Littler (5) 2-0 (1) Van Veen* Van Veen is still throwing some excellent darts despite everything.

He misses a dart at double for his fifth ton-plus finish of the match; you know the rest.Seventh set: *Littler (5) 1-0 (1) Van Veen The claret-stained board is changed at end of the set.Littler assaults the replacement board with the same utter bloody genius, breaking throw once more on D10.Van Veen’s head has gone now, and who can blame him after walking into this.Littler’s performance has been chillingly good.

Littler 5-1 Van Veen This match is all over bar the shouting.As we thought at the time, Van Veen poked the bear by taking the first set and going 2-0 up in the second.“A commentator on Talksport has asked, perhaps rhetorically, what can Van Veen do?” says Ian Copestake.“Just do good darts, I guess.Always.

It’s not as if he can just go into a low block and counter.”Sixth set: *Littler (4) 2-0 (1) Van Veen After Littler misses the bull for a break, Van Veen misses two at D16 for a hold.Littler has broken his will – and he’s just broken his throw again, this time on double five.This is astonishing stuff from Littler.Van Veen isn’t playing badly at all, yet Littler has won 14 of the last 16 legs.

Van Veen has cut his hand and there’s a splash of blood on the board in single 5.Sixth set: Littler (4) 1-0 (1) Van Veen* “Gian has to outscore his opponent more often,” says John Part on commentary at the precise moment Littler bangs in his second consecutive 180 at the start of the sixth set.Littler can’t hit a nine-darter, or even a 12.But Van Veen – who hit an almost solemn 180 earlier in the leg – misses two at D15 for a break.The punishment is inevitable.

Match averages after five setsLittler 107.06 (43.75%)Van Veen 100.27 (50%)Littler 4-1 Van Veen There’s a scintilla of hope for Van Veen, maybe even a soupçon, when Littler addresses D5 with his last dart.And like that.

it’s gone: Littler hits D5 and wraps up the fifth set with minimal fuss,He has won 12 of the last 14 legs and looks as near unbeatable as dammit,“There’s a wasp streaking in the darts!” roflcopters Ian Copestake,Fifth set: *Littler (3) 2-1 (1) Van Veen Van Veen started the game beautifully but has been knocked off course by that blistering surge from Littler,And now he’s in big trouble: Littler hits D10 to break throw, after which Van Veen stabs his darts into his table in frustration.

Fifth set: Littler (3) 1-1 (1) Van Veen* An affronted Littler starts with a 180, then has to delay his third visit after an impromptu dance with the Ally Pally wasp,It’s a tight leg, both men on 54 after 12 darts,Littler gets it done in 14,Fifth set: *Littler (3) 0-1 (1) Van Veen Littler dominates the leg on the Van Veen throw,He misses bull for a 122… and Van Veen hits tops-tops for a 137.

My word that is some finish, under the most intense pressure.“Juggernaut” is the subject of Phil Sawyer’s email.You can’t help feeling Littler is ramping up now.Maybe the next few years will be everyone else trying to pick up the crumbs after all.Also, all the very best to Chris Allison, enjoy those cocktails