‘One of the biggest upsets’ – Luke Littler and Luke Humphries sent packing from World Cup of Darts

In a seismic shock described by Sky Sports as “one of the biggest upsets” in darts history, England’s Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, the world No. 2 and No. 1, were eliminated 8-4 by Germany’s Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko in the second round of the 2025 BetVictor World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt on June 14, per Sky Sports. The defending champions, favored at 2/5 odds to win the tournament, per PDC, crumbled under pressure from a fervent 3,500-strong home crowd at the Eissporthalle, who booed the English duo during their walk-on, per Daily Mail.

Littler, making his World Cup debut at 18, started shakily, missing three darts at doubles in the fifth leg, allowing Pietreczko’s 106 checkout to ignite Germany’s charge to a 5-2 lead at the break, per The Guardian. Humphries, despite a 64 finish to tie at 2-2, misfired on a 122 checkout, hitting 25 instead of bullseye, further tilting the match, per The Standard. Germany extended their lead to 7-2 with Pietreczko’s 101 finish, and despite a brief English rally to 7-4, Pietreczko sealed the upset with a double 16, per Sky Sports. England’s 36% checkout rate (4/11 doubles) paled against Germany’s 62%, per Express.

Schindler, who pre-match boldly claimed England were “beatable,” told Sky Sports, “We believed in ourselves… German darts is in good shape,” per. The hostile crowd, which Littler has previously criticized in Germany, per Daily Mail, played a role, with X posts like @EwanMacKenna noting, “England… destroys itself on world stage under national flag. Panics,” per. Littler’s quick exit from the stage drew criticism for poor sportsmanship, per @MJ_JJ061215, while Humphries stayed to congratulate the Germans, per @AJC2424. This marked England’s earliest World Cup exit since 2010, per Express, with Germany advancing to face Australia in the quarter-finals on June 15, per The Standard.