World Darts Masters draw confirmed with Luke Littler handed horror tie against star out to make amends for World Champs

The draw for the 2026 Winmau World Masters has been confirmed, and reigning world champion Luke Littler has been handed a challenging first-round tie that could test his title ambitions from the very start. (The Sun)

Littler Drawn Against Mike De Decker

Littler — the world No. 1 and one of the most dominant forces in professional darts over the last two seasons — opens his World Masters campaign against Belgium’s Mike De Decker in Milton Keynes this week. (The Sun)

De Decker is no easy draw. The 30-year-old suffered a shock early exit at the World Darts Championship, losing from a two-set lead to Kenyan debutant David Munyua — one of the most surprising upsets of the event. (The Sun) While De Decker’s form dipped at the Worlds, that experience could make him a dangerous opponent with something to prove against one of the sport’s brightest stars.

Littler’s Quest to Complete His Major CV

For Littler, the World Masters represents one of the few televised majors still missing from his illustrious trophy cabinet. Since turning professional in 2024, he’s amassed an extraordinary run of success, including standard major titles such as the World Championship and World Matchplay — part of a near-unprecedented streak of big-event victories. (Sky Sports)

The 32-player draw also features other big names in the top half alongside Littler, including Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Rob Cross, Ryan Searle and Josh Rock — meaning Littler could face elite competition even before the latter stages. (The Sun)

Defending Champion in Other Half

In the bottom half of the draw, defending champion Luke Humphries begins his title defence against Dave Chisnall, while seeds such as Gian van Veen, Danny Noppert, Nathan Aspinall and Gary Anderson will also be aiming to make deep runs. (The Sun)

The World Masters, held at Arena MK in Milton Keynes, sees early rounds played over a best-of-five-sets format, where sharp starts can be vital to avoid surprise exits early in the week. (The Sun)

Pressure on the Favourite

As tournament favourite, Littler enters with both expectation and pressure. Having already tasted success on the World Series and on the PDC circuit this season — including a recent title win in Saudi Arabia just ahead of his 19th birthday — Littler is eager to add the World Masters trophy to his collection and edge closer to completing the set of all major televised titles. (Wikipedia)

Nonetheless, his tough opener against De Decker ensures he’ll need to be fully dialled in from the first dart — a reminder that even the biggest names must negotiate tricky tests on their way to glory.