Luke Littler hits major dominance at Winmau World Masters with penultimate piece of darting puzzle won in final thriller with Luke Humphries

Perfect! I now have all the details. Let me create a comprehensive article about Luke Littler’s historic World Masters victory.

Luke Littler Continues Major Dominance at Winmau World Masters with Penultimate Piece of Darting Puzzle Won in Final Thriller with Luke Humphries

Luke Littler completed one of darts’ most remarkable winning streaks by claiming his maiden Winmau World Masters title with a nerve-shredding 6-5 victory over defending champion Luke Humphries in Milton Keynes. The 19-year-old world champion added the World Masters to his already bulging trophy cabinet, securing his 11th PDC major title and leaving just the European Championship between him and becoming only the third player ever to complete the full set of PDC majors.

The Deciding Set Drama

Sunday’s final at Arena MK delivered everything fans could have hoped for as the sport’s two dominant forces battled through 11 sets of scintillating darts. Littler surged to leads of 3-1 and 4-3, only to watch Humphries claw his way back into contention with championship-level determination. When the defending champion won sets eight and nine to lead 5-4, the teenager faced his sternest test of the tournament.

“Going into the last break at 5-4 down I said to myself I have got nothing left, but I managed to dig deep,” Littler admitted to ITV. “I was fully focused and got the job done. It’s definitely been weird and tough at times, but this is why we battle in every game and every leg. I’ve come out victorious.”

What followed was vintage Littler. The world number one raced through the tenth set in just 25 darts to force a decider, then capitalized when Humphries failed to checkout on double four. Two clinical legs later, Littler had secured the £100,000 first prize and etched his name on yet another major trophy.

The Numbers Behind the Nuke

Littler’s 104.72 average across the final slightly trailed Humphries’ 105.7, but it was his finishing and mental fortitude when it mattered most that proved decisive. The teenager landed 13 of the match’s 25 maximums and three of four 100+ checkouts, including a spectacular 153 finish that helped him establish early momentum.

The final showcased Littler’s full repertoire: back-to-back 121 checkouts—one on tops and one on the bullseye—to claim a two-set advantage, an 11-dart break, and a double-double finish to checkout 78. These weren’t just impressive statistics; they were moments of individual brilliance that shifted momentum at critical junctures.

Humphries’ Gracious Assessment

Despite the heartbreak of losing a title he desperately wanted to defend, Humphries delivered one of the most remarkable post-match assessments in recent darts history. “You look back on the whole game, it’s hard to pick holes in it,” the 2024 world champion reflected. “He has shown that true class. He never folds under pressure. It’s a bit premature but I think he’s the greatest darts player who has ever lived.”

It was an extraordinary statement about a player who won’t turn 20 until next January. Humphries, who knows Littler’s game better than anyone after facing him in seven major finals, doubled down on his claim: “I’m feeling really good about my game. I’m gutted not to win it but I think I proved why I’m still the second best player in the world. It’s not the biggest achievement, I want to be the best.”

However, Littler himself rejected the “greatest ever” label when asked about Humphries’ comments in his press conference. “No, no one will ever be better than Phil Taylor,” he insisted. “I won’t be the greatest unless I do win more than what Phil won.” With Taylor’s 79 majors still representing a distant target, Littler’s humility provides fascinating contrast to his on-oche dominance.

The Road to Glory

Littler’s path to the final was anything but smooth. The tournament began with a terrifying near-miss against Belgian Mike De Decker, who stood on a match dart at 2-1 up before narrowly missing. Littler survived 3-2, admitting afterward, “I just didn’t get going there. Mike deserved to win the second and third sets.”

The second-round clash with Ross Smith brought its own drama—not on the scoreboard, where Littler cruised 4-1, but in the arena itself. A persistent heckler positioned near the stage attempted to disrupt both players throughout the match. “A few things in the crowd again at the very front,” Littler explained. “And even Ross said when we went off at 3-1, he’s an idiot, that guy, whoever it was. I didn’t know who it was, but it was just throughout the game.”

Smith’s confirmation of the disruption highlighted just how blatant the heckling had become. Venue security approached Littler after the second set to enquire about the incident, but the teenager downplayed it: “Like I said at the Worlds, just don’t react and get the job done.”

Despite the distraction, Littler produced a performance that threatened tournament records. His average reached 117 before dropping ten points as the match progressed, and he demolished Smith with a 116 average across the opening three sets. “Ross even said to me, the first three sets, I was playing a robot,” Littler revealed.

Sunday’s quarter-final against Josh Rock provided no complications—a clinical 4-0 whitewash that took just 12 sets to complete. But the semi-final against Gerwyn Price replicated the De Decker drama. The Ice Man fought back from one set down four separate times to force a decider, then earned a match dart on tops at 4-4 in the final set before missing narrowly. Littler pounced with typical ruthlessness to win 5-4 and reach his first World Masters final.

Humphries’ Nine-Dart Journey

While Littler’s eventual triumph dominated headlines, Humphries’ route to the final included its own moment of perfection. Saturday’s second-round clash with Luke Woodhouse saw the defending champion deliver a stunning nine-dart finish—his third on television in the past 12 months—to wrap up the second set via the traditional route of 180, 180, and a 141 checkout on double 12.

“When I hit those two 180s, I just felt like it was going to go,” Humphries explained after completing the perfect leg that sent Arena MK into pandemonium. “It was a great moment but if I don’t win the match it means nothing, so I’m really glad I got the win to go with it.”

The match itself became a thriller as Woodhouse battled back from 3-1 down to level at 3-3, forcing a deciding set where Humphries missed four match darts—one in the fifth set and three more in the final set—before eventually holding throw to squeeze through 4-3.

From there, Humphries looked imperious. He demolished Danny Noppert 4-0 in the quarter-finals without dropping a single set, then repeated the scoreline against World Championship runner-up Gian van Veen in the semi-finals. After navigating the early drama against Woodhouse, Humphries dropped just one leg across two matches en route to the final.

The Only One Missing

With the World Masters trophy secured, Littler’s major collection now reads: two World Championships, one World Matchplay, one Premier League, two Grand Slams, one World Grand Prix, one UK Open, one World Masters, one Players Championship Finals, and one World Series Finals. That’s nine of the ten different PDC majors won in just over two years on tour.

Only the legendary Phil Taylor (who won all nine available to him during his era) and Michael van Gerwen (who completed the set in 2016) have achieved the full collection. Littler’s 11 major titles overall already places him joint-third on the all-time list alongside James Wade, trailing only Taylor (79) and van Gerwen (48).

The European Championship—the only major still eluding him—takes place in October 2026 in Dortmund, Germany. Should Littler claim that title while still a teenager, it would represent one of sport’s most extraordinary achievements. No player has ever dominated PDC darts with such ruthless efficiency at such a young age.

Four in a Row

The World Masters victory extended Littler’s winning streak at major finals to four, having also claimed the World Championship, Grand Slam of Darts, and Players Championship Finals since his last defeat in a TV final (the 2025 Premier League against Humphries). His head-to-head record against Humphries in major finals now stands at 4-3, having won three consecutive finals against his great rival.

This was also Littler’s fourth consecutive televised ranking major victory dating back to November’s Players Championship Finals. In that span, he’s averaged over 104, landed 167 maximums, and dropped just 25 sets across 26 matches. The dominance isn’t just sustained—it’s accelerating.

The Greatest Who Ever Lived?

Humphries’ stunning claim that Littler is already “the greatest darts player who has ever lived” will fuel debate for years to come. At face value, it’s absurd—Littler has 11 majors to Taylor’s 79, and hasn’t yet completed a single decade on tour. But Humphries wasn’t comparing trophy counts; he was assessing something more fundamental.

“He never folds under pressure,” Humphries emphasized. “You try your hardest but he never folds.” This psychological invincibility, this refusal to accept defeat even when the arrows aren’t flowing, may be Littler’s most devastating weapon. Time and again throughout the World Masters, he found himself behind or in trouble—against De Decker, in the final against Humphries, in the semi-final against Price—and time and again he summoned the precision and nerve to escape.

Compare that to Taylor at the same stage of his career. The Power didn’t win his first world title until age 30. Van Gerwen captured his first major at 23. Littler has 11 majors at 19. If he maintains anything approaching this trajectory, Humphries’ assessment may prove prophetic rather than premature.

What Comes Next

The immediate focus shifts to the Premier League, which begins February 5 in Newcastle. Littler enters as reigning champion after his breakthrough triumph in 2024, and will face a field desperate to end his dominance. Humphries’ warning— “He’s got to watch his back. I’m feeling really good about my game”—suggests the world number two believes he’s found something in defeat that might translate to future victories.

But for now, Littler stands alone atop the darting world. Eleven majors before his twentieth birthday. Nine of ten available titles secured. A fourth consecutive final triumph. A 20-match unbeaten streak at televised ranking majors. The penultimate piece of the puzzle now firmly in place.

Only Dortmund remains. And based on everything we’ve witnessed over the past 14 months, betting against Luke Littler completing the set would be a fool’s errand.

“This is one I didn’t have hold of but now I have hold of it and now there is only one left,” Littler reflected after lifting the trophy. “Me and Luke in the first major of the year and I’m sure it will continue throughout the year.”

For the rest of the PDC Tour, that prospect is either thrilling or terrifying. Possibly both.