rewrite this title Luke Littler: How close is teenager star to world No 1 and when can he overtake Luke Humphries after World Matchplay win in Blackpool?

Luke Littler refused to describe himself as the best darts player in the world after his Betfred World Matchplay victory, but how close is he to officially becoming world No 1?

The 18-year-old defeated James Wade 18-13 in a high-quality final at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, where he fired a 107.24 average on his way to becoming the youngest player to win the Phil Taylor Trophy.

Victory saw Littler become just the fifth player to complete the Triple Crown – having already won the Premier League last May and the World Championship in January – joining Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Luke Humphries in darts’ exclusive club.

His latest record-breaking success adds to his growing haul of titles and closes the gap on Humphries at the top of the PDC world rankings, with more majors to come in the second half of the year for Littler to get to top spot.

How do the rankings work?

The Werner Rankings Ladder (PDC World Rankings) is based on prize money won over a two-year period by players in ranking tournaments.

Humphries currently tops the standings – as of July 28 – with £1,797,750, while Luke Littler’s latest TV title lifted him to £1,500,500 and less than £300,000 away from top spot.

Michael van Gerwen is their closest challenger but a long way back in third (£739,750), with Stephen Bunting in fourth and Wade completing the top five after his run to the Blackpool final.

Why is Humphries’ No 1 spot under threat?

Littler is only in his second year of holding a PDC Tour Card, meaning all prize money earned from ranking events will go towards his total, whereas Humphries is defending the money won during the 2023 season.

Humphries lost £40,000 from his ranking after a first-round exit in Blackpool, earning £10,000 compared to the £50,000 he got for reaching the semi-finals in 2023, while Littler took home the £200,000 first prize.

A big factor in Humphries holding the No 1 spot is down to his strong finish to 2023, where he won the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals ahead of his World Championship success.

Humphries will have to defend all that money over the coming months, with his ranking dropping for all titles he doesn’t win, while all money Littler earns in those events will help him push towards top spot.

How has Littler got so close to No 1?

Littler earned £700,000 from his two World Championship appearances, finishing runner-up on debut in 2024 before lifting the Trophy earlier this year, while wins at the World Matchplay, 2024 Grand Slam of Darts (£153,500) and the 2025 UK Open (£110,000) have helped his case.

He has won three PDC European Tour events, each earning £30,000, with the run to last year’s Players Championship Finals added £60,000. Other prize money includes three PDC Pro Tour wins and performances from other ranking events.

When can Littler overtake Humphries?

The World Series of Darts events in Australia (August 8-9), New Zealand (August 15-16) and the Jack’s Casino World Series of Darts Finals in the Netherlands (September 12-14) are non-ranking events, meaning all prize money won doesn’t go towards their rankings.

There are eight Players Championship events and four European Tour events between now and the next TV major, with Littler likely to be even closer to Humphries before the World Grand Prix from October 6-12.

If Littler is within £232,000 of ‘Cool Hand Luke’ heading into that week in Leicester, the teenager could become world No 1 for the first time if he won the title and Humphries suffered a first-round exit.

There will be further opportunities in October to earn ranking points, with four Players Championship events in Wigan and the German Darts Championship (October 12-14), while the European Championship (October 25-28) has a £120,000 first prize.

What about the World Championship?

Humphries risks losing further ranking points at the Grand Slam of Darts (November 8-16) and the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals (November 21-23), two years on from winning both, with his world No 1 status at risk of being gone before the World Championship.

He would head to the Alexandra Palace as No 1 seed if he remains ahead of Littler in the standings, although the 2024 World Championship prize money will drop off both players’ rankings after this year’s contest.

That means Humphries could lose almost £500,000 from his ranking and Littler almost £200,000, depending on their performance in this year’s event – featuring a record 128-player field and offering a £1m first prize.

A successful title defence for Littler would guarantee the world No 1 spot, regardless of Humphries’ performance, while there are multiple scenarios where ‘The Nuke’ could enter 2026 top of the rankings.

What has Littler said about it?

Speaking after his World Matchplay win, Littler said: “I’ve looked at the rankings – provisional No 1 for the worlds if Luke doesn’t defend all that prize money – obviously I don’t want him to.”

“I’d love to be No 1, but we’ll just have to find out. For myself, just try and add more money to my rankings.”

On whether he feels like the current world No 1, Littler said: “Maybe stats wise, but every time I get asked the question, I’ll never say I’m the best.

“I think if you’re No 1 then you are the best, no matter if you go out to tournaments early, if you don’t perform well. But when I’m No 1, I’ll say I’m the best.”

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