The World Cup of Darts: 40 Countries Compete for the Prestigious Title
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has announced the 40 countries that will compete at the prestigious World Cup of Darts, set to take place from Thursday, June 27 to Sunday, June 30. Among the participating nations, the pairings of some of the top players in the sport have already been revealed.
Defending Champions and Top Contenders
Defending champions Wales will once again be represented by the formidable duo of Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton. Scotland’s challenge will be led by Peter Wright and Gary Anderson, while the Netherlands will field the dynamic pairing of Michael van Gerwen and Danny Noppert, who previously teamed up at the 2020 edition of the tournament, reaching the quarterfinals.
England, the clear favorites for the title, will be represented by world champion Luke Humphries and former world champion Michael Smith. Other notable contenders include Germany’s Martin Schindler and Gabriel Clemens, as well as Australia’s Damon Heta and Simon Whitlock.
Outsiders and Debutants
Belgium and Northern Ireland are also among the outsiders, but the final selections for both countries have not yet been confirmed. Dimitri Van den Bergh is set to compete for Belgium, while Josh Rock will team up with either Brendan Dolan or Daryl Gurney for Northern Ireland.
Notably, Taiwan is making its debut appearance at the World Cup of Darts, represented by Teng-Lieh Pupo and An-Sheng Lu. Singapore, with the iconic duo of Paul Lim and Harith Lim, is also among the eight Asian countries competing in Frankfurt. Additionally, Norway returns to the tournament for the first time since 2016, while Bahrain, Guyana, and Iceland are competing for the second time after their debut last year.
Tournament Format
The revamped format, successfully introduced in 2023, will be retained for the upcoming edition. The tournament will begin with a group stage before transitioning into a knockout phase, with all matches featuring pairings. The four highest-ranked countries based on the cumulative PDC Order of Merit rankings of their two participants will advance directly to the knockout stage, while the remaining 36 teams will be divided into 12 groups of three countries each, competing on the opening two days of the event.
The darts enthusiasts can look forward to an exciting and highly competitive World Cup of Darts, showcasing the best players from around the globe as they vie for the coveted title.
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