Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, England’s formidable duo at the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt, starting June 12, 2025, faced a pointed warning from Republic of Ireland’s William O’Connor, who suggested their “egos” could derail their campaign, per SPORTbible. O’Connor, after Ireland’s 4-2 win over Gibraltar on Thursday, told Darts News, “We’ll see how egos go… They [Littler and Humphries] have the potential to just whitewash everybody, but they also have the potential to fall apart,” per. His teammate Keane Barry echoed the sentiment, stating, “They’re the team to beat, but everyone is beatable… Anything can happen,” per.
The comments mark the start of psychological sparring ahead of England’s second-round entry on Saturday, June 14, at the Eissporthalle, where the top-seeded pair are favorites to defend England’s title, per Sky Sports. Littler, 18, and Humphries, 30, bring a fierce rivalry—having faced off 23 times since 2024, with Littler leading 13-10—but must gel in the doubles format, per. Scotland’s Peter Wright also fanned the flames, suggesting Humphries “will be practicing his backside off” while Littler focuses on “games and sweets,” hoping the pair “won’t click,” per.
Humphries, aware of the pressure, dismissed practice sessions with Littler, telling Sportsboom, “When you’ve got two of the best players in the world, we’re not going to need to start practicing together,” per. He plans to support Littler against potential German crowd hostility, saying, “I’ll be there to say, ‘Don’t worry about what they’re doing, focus on your game,’” per. Littler, stung by past boos in Germany, admitted to prior “anger” but is eager for a debut win, per. As mind games intensify, England’s success hinges on unity, per Express.
