Each year, the darts world gathers in London for a multi-week tournament to determine who stands on top of the world of darts.
Players from all different skill levels get the opportunity to play at the Alexandra Palace, but often we see the best of the best come out on top at the end.
With major season upon us, it's time to take an early look at what players will have the best shot at winning it all.
Top five contenders for 2026 PDC WC
There are plenty of names that could be in the mix, but before a dart is even thrown, a few names stand out.
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Luke Littler
Littler is the reigning champion and has been on a generational run over the past 18+ months.
He's made the final in the last two World Championships, so there's no reason to believe there isn't a great chance of him making it that far once again.
His form hasn't dipped much at all since his rise in 2024, especially recently, picking up several titles in the past month or two.
Luke Humphries
Humphries has had his struggles since taking home his first Premier League title.
It's not the first time he's dealt with early exits in tournaments, as last year, Peter Wright eliminated him pretty early on at the 2025 PDC WC.
Humphries might lose his world number one spot to Littler, but he's still one of the game's top guns and will find a way to be in the mix come December.
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Stephen Bunting
The Bullet has had a great past couple of years in the PDC, winning several titles/events, but he's still looking to become a PDC World Champion.
He made an impressive run to the semifinal in 2024, but lost to Littler in the final four.
He'll look to get some redemption later this year at the next edition of the PDC WC, with tons of momentum from great results at tournaments so far this year.
MORE: 2025 PDC World Series of Darts Finals qualifiers announced
Gerwyn Price
Price is another player whose stock has quickly risen over the past few months.
He appears to be closer to the level that we saw out of him when he won the World Championship a few years back.
He didn't quite get over the hump at the World Matchplay in July, but he'll have plenty of opportunities to get more reps in before December comes around.
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Josh Rock
Rock is a name I've harped on recently as someone to look out for at every tournament going forward, as long as he continues to maintain his current form.
He's produced some ridiculous averages and is one of the best scorers in PDC darts right now.
He proved at the World Matchplay last month that he can fare well in long-formatted games, so he has the tools to play longer 'set games' once the World Championship rolls around.
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