Luke Littler sets sights on 'more titles' after thumping win over Gian van Veen clinches ‘life-changing’ World Championship defence
By Will Conroy
Published 03/01/2026 at 23:01 GMT
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Luke Littler has said he is targeting "more titles" after he produced a stunning display against Gian van Veen to defend his PDC World Championship crown. The 18-year-old came from behind to claim an emphatic 7-1 victory over his Dutch opponent, averaging 106.02 in the final at Alexandra Palace. The world No. 1 described his latest triumph as "very special" but said he now has to "keep going".
Luke Littler lifts the PDC World Championship trophy
Image credit: Getty Images
Luke Littler set his sights on "more titles" after defending his PDC World Championship crown with a thumping 7-1 victory over Gian van Veen in the final at Alexandra Palace.
The world No. 1 lost the opening set but responded emphatically as he stormed to victory with seven sets on the spin, averaging 106.02 throughout the contest.
The 18-year-old became the fourth player to successfully defend the title and the first since Gary Anderson in 2016, having claimed his maiden title last year.
After lifting the trophy, Littler said there was "not a chance" he expected to win so much at this stage of his career, but he is now targeting more success.
He told Sky Sports: "I didn't think it would be anything like it has been. I've been practising. The family and friends have always been there to support me.
"It's very special. We've got to keep going. We've got to keep adding more titles. We can't stop here. We're still on this rollercoaster."
Only Phil Taylor, with 14, and Michael van Gerwen, on three, have more PDC world titles than Littler, who was playing in his third successive world final in what was his third appearance at the tournament.
Littler finished the match with a flourish, producing a 147 checkout to seal the final set before letting out a roar in celebration.
It was a dominant tournament from the world No. 1, averaging over 105 across his seven games and dropping just four sets in that time.
The 18-year-old became the first recipient of the £1 million prize money, while Van Veen pocketed the £400,000 runner-up prize as he marches into 2026 as the world No. 3.
Asked about the £1m prize pot, Littler said: "It is life-changing for anyone. Even the first round was doubled. It's life-changing.
"This win has just increased that gap from Luke Humphries, and I'm in the clear as world No. 1."
Indeed, Littler now has over twice as many ranking points as Humphries, whose lead over Van Veen is significantly more marginal.
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Van Veen was appearing in his first world final after the best year of his career to date, winning the European Championship and defending the World Youth Championship in 2025.
Reflecting on the final, the Dutchman said: "The scoring maybe tonight wasn't my greatest game in the whole tournament.
"Luke wasn't in the mood to give me any more chances. He played phenomenally. I missed too many chances to make it an even game.
"That's why he's world No. 1 by a margin now and back-to-back world champion."
He added: "I said it all week, the young boys are here and we're trying to take over the [old] guard, [Littler’s] done it so far.
"This game is for the young players now and we're here to show how it's done."
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