Michael Smith, the 2023 World Darts Champion, delivered a scathing critique of Luke Littler’s performance at the 2025 World Cup of Darts, blaming the 18-year-old’s ego for England’s shocking 8-4 loss to Germany’s Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko in the round of 16 on June 14, 2025. Speaking to Oche180 on August 18, 2025, Smith, who partnered Luke Humphries to the 2024 World Cup title, accused Littler of prioritizing personal glory over teamwork. “I didn’t have an ego going on stage… I was like, ‘This is not me against Luke, this is me and Luke versus everyone else,’” Smith said, suggesting Littler’s focus on outshining Humphries undermined their effort (oche180.com).
Smith contrasted his 2024 approach, where he adapted to Humphries’ preferred doubles as world No. 2, with Littler’s mindset. “Luke tried to outdo Luke instead of working together… That was his ego taking over,” he stated (oche180.com). England’s performance was lackluster, averaging just 93 and hitting only four of 11 doubles under a hostile Frankfurt crowd (web:9). Littler’s frustration was evident as he stormed off stage, drawing further criticism from darts legend Dennis Priestley, who claimed the duo “let their country down” and didn’t deserve their MBEs (web:7). Gerwyn Price added, “They didn’t turn up together, didn’t sit together, didn’t play as a team” (web:10).
Littler responded defiantly, posting a now-deleted Instagram Story: “Done more in 12 months than [Priestley] ever did” (web:7). Humphries, more diplomatic, urged moving forward on X: “Disappointing to hear a top former pro say such a damaging thing… One bad game and we’ll be back” (@DExpress_Sport, August 18, 2025) (post:1). Legendary referee Russ Bray remarked, “They were rabbits in headlights… the hype got to them” (web:10). Fans on X were split, with one post noting, “Smith’s spot-on about Littler’s ego. Teamwork makes the dream work” (@DExpress_Sport, August 18, 2025).
Despite the setback, Littler’s 2025 season shines, highlighted by a record-breaking 115.02 average at the New Zealand Darts Masters (web:14). His resilience mirrors that of athletes like Emma Raducanu navigating scrutiny or Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin prioritizing the Davis Cup. Smith’s warning highlights the critical need for unity in pairs events, a lesson Littler may carry into the US Open Darts Masters as he aims to silence critics and reclaim England’s pride.
