Luke Littler is on the verge of potentially reaching the top position in the PDC World Rankings during the upcoming Machineseeker European Championship in Dortmund. The tournament will feature the top 32 players from the 2025 European Tour rankings competing for a share of the £600,000 prize pool.
Renowned players like Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright, and Gerwyn Price will kick off the PDC Premier Event, followed by Littler, Luke Humphries, and Nathan Aspinall taking the stage on Friday. The competition will progress with round two on Saturday, leading up to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final on Sunday.
The champion of the Machineseeker European Championship will walk away with £120,000, while the runner-up will receive £60,000. Semi-finalists will earn £40,000, and quarter-finalists will be awarded £25,000.
Littler, also known as ‘The Nuke,’ is in close pursuit of ‘Cool Hand Luke,’ the current top-ranked player globally. To surpass Humphries, Littler needs to close the £52,500 earnings gap between them.
A potential scenario where Littler could overtake Humphries involves the latter facing an early defeat in the tournament. Littler would need to secure a semi-final spot to narrow the earnings gap by £5,000.
Despite his talent, Littler has faced challenges with crowds in Germany in the past. However, with the PDC World Darts Championship approaching, Littler aims to climb to the top spot in the world rankings later this year.
In an interview, Littler expressed his determination to claim the top position, emphasizing the need to maintain consistent performance and apply pressure on his competitors. The young player remains focused on his goal of becoming the world number one in the near future.
