Draw European Championship Darts 2025: Top ties include Littler v Van Barneveld, Price v Gurney and Anderson v Menzies
2025 Machineseeker European Darts Championship: Draw, Preview, and Key Matchups
The 2025 Machineseeker European Darts Championship, the PDC’s prestigious year-end showcase for the European Tour, is set to ignite the Westfalenhallen in Dortmund, Germany, from **October 23 to 26**. This 18th edition of the tournament pits the top 32 players from the 2025 European Tour Order of Merit in a £600,000 prize pool event, with £120,000 going to the champion. The draw, confirmed on October 19 following Nathan Aspinall’s victory at the German Darts Championship, promises fireworks, headlined by a blockbuster first-round clash between teenage sensation Luke Littler and darts legend Raymond van Barneveld. Other standout ties include Gerwyn Price vs. Daryl Gurney and Gary Anderson vs. Cameron Menzies, setting the stage for high-stakes drama in a format that has produced classics like Aspinall’s 2023 victory over Humphries. Live coverage starts on October 23 at 7:30 p.m. CEST on Sky Sports (UK) and PDCTV, with the tournament concluding with the final on October 26.
Tournament Format and Qualification
The European Championship features the top 32 players from the 2025 European Tour Order of Merit, based solely on prize money earned across 14 events throughout the year. The draw is fixed by seeding, with No. 1 seed Nathan Aspinall facing No. 32 Rob Cross in the opener, No. 2 Luke Littler against No. 31 Raymond van Barneveld, and so on. The tournament unfolds over four days:
– **Day 1 (October 23)**: First round (16 matches).
– **Day 2 (October 24)**: Second round (8 matches).
– **Day 3 (October 25)**: Quarterfinals and semifinals.
– **Day 4 (October 26)**: Final (best-of-13 sets).
Winners advance through single-elimination, with the champion earning £120,000 and qualification for the Grand Slam of Darts. Aspinall, the No. 1 seed after winning three Euro Tour events in 2025, is the defending champion from 2023.
Key Matchups: The Top Ties to Watch
The draw is stacked with rivalries and rematches, promising an “explosive” tournament as described by PDC chairman Barry Hearn. Here’s a breakdown of the headliners:
| Round | Matchup | Notes |
|——-|———|——-|
| **Round 1** | Luke Littler (2) vs. Raymond van Barneveld (31) | Littler’s first Euro Tour meeting with the 2007 PDC World Champion; van Barneveld’s experience vs. youth firepower. |
| **Round 1** | Gerwyn Price (4) vs. Daryl Gurney (29) | Rematch of their 2024 Players Championship final (Price won 8-4); Gurney’s resurgence vs. Price’s mind games. |
| **Round 1** | Gary Anderson (5) vs. Cameron Menzies (28) | Anderson’s “Flying Scotsman” vs. Menzies’ breakout form; a Scottish derby with fireworks potential. |
| **Round 1** | Nathan Aspinall (1) vs. Rob Cross (32) | Defending Euro Champ Aspinall vs. Cross, the 2018 World Champion; Aspinall’s three 2025 Euro wins vs. Cross’s consistency. |
Other notable first-round clashes include Josh Rock (3) vs. Gian van Veen, Michael Smith (6) vs. Joe Cullen, and Stephen Bunting (7) vs. Ryan Searle. The draw ensures early fireworks, with Littler vs. van Barneveld alone promising a generational showdown—Littler, the 2025 Worlds winner, against the veteran who inspired a generation.
Prize Money Breakdown
The £600,000 prize pool incentivizes deep runs:
– **Winner**: £120,000
– **Runner-up**: £60,000
– **Semifinalists**: £40,000 each (£80,000 total)
– **Quarterfinalists**: £20,000 each (£80,000 total)
– **Last 8**: £10,000 each (£40,000 total)
– **Last 16**: £6,000 each (£48,000 total)
– **Last 32**: £3,000 each (£96,000 total)
Preview: Aspinall’s Defense and Littler’s Ambition
Nathan Aspinall, the No. 1 seed and 2023 champion, opens against Rob Cross, aiming to replicate his 7-3 final win over Humphries last year. Littler, seeded No. 2 after his Grand Prix heroics (£120,000 prize), faces a stern test against van Barneveld, the 67-year-old legend who won his last major in 2014. “Raymond’s a pioneer—respect, but I’m here to win,” Littler said. Humphries (No. 8 seed vs. Ross Smith) seeks redemption after his Grand Prix final loss to Littler (6-1), while Price (No. 4 vs. Gurney) and Anderson (No. 5 vs. Menzies) add volatility.
The tournament, live from Dortmund’s Westfalenhallen, promises the “biggest party in professional sports,” as Hearn called it. With 32 qualifiers from 14 Euro Tour events, the fixed seeding draw ensures early clashes. Tickets are available via PDC Europe, with sessions starting at 7:30 p.m. CEST on October 23.
As the curtain falls on the European Tour, Dortmund awaits—the ties are set; the glory is up for grabs. Littler vs. van Barneveld? The oche’s electric.
