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Winmau World Masters: Luke Littler makes regaining Premier League title his next goal after earning new PDC major title

Luke Littler beat Luke Humphries 6-5 in the Winmau World Masters final; Littler is back-to-back world champion and the pre-tournament favourite to win the Premier League Darts title, with the 2026 season starting Thursday in Newcastle, live on Sky Sports

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Luke Littler defeated Luke Humphries in a deciding set to claim his maiden Winmau World Masters title

Luke Littler has set regaining the Premier League as his next big goal after continuing his PDC dominance by claiming a maiden Winmau World Masters title in Milton Keynes.

The world No 1 followed successfully defending his World Championship crown and winning the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters by scooping the £100,000 top prize at Arena MK, his third title in a month.

Littler thrashed Josh Rock in straight sets in the quarter-finals and survived a match dart to defeat Gerwyn Price in a final-leg decider, before edging out Luke Humphries in the final set of an absorbing final.

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Gerwyn Price missed double top to defeat Luke Littler in the semi-final of the Winmau World Masters

The Nuke will play all three of those in this season's Premier League, which gets under way in Newcastle on Thursday - live on Sky Sports, while the latest success leaves him just a European Championship victory away from having won every PDC ranked major title.

Littler will have the opportunity to claim his elusive major in Dortmund this October, but first wants to focus on regaining the Premier League title after last year's runner-up finish to Humphries.

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A look back at how Luke Humphries claimed his Premier League title in 2025, which included beating Littler in the final

"Obviously it [Winmau World Masters win] means a lot and to pull myself from 5-4 down to win 6-5 means everything," Littler said in his victory press conference. "It's another one ticked off now.

"We can focus on the European Tour and the World Cup [of Darts] when it comes to that time, but I'm looking forward to the Premier League now."

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Littler added: "That [European Championship] is obviously the main goal for this year, but obviously another goal is to go and get the Premier League trophy back.

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Speaking on Love The Darts, Matt Edgar and Paul Nicholson discuss Luke Littler's dominant campaign at the World Championship

"I'm looking forward to the European Tours as well. The one in Belgium I've won back-to-back, so obviously want to go and do the hat-trick there. But we can't look too far ahead - we can only look at next week for the Premier League."

Littler's third consecutive TV final win over Humphries, following on from the World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts last season, moves him tied-third in the all-time standings on 11 PDC major wins alongside James Wade.

He only trails Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor, despite still being a teenager, although played down Humphries' suggestion that he could already be the best darts player ever.

"I didn't hear him [Humphries] say that," Littler insisted, "No, no one will ever be [better than Phil Taylor]. I won't be the greatest unless I do win more than what Phil won."

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A look back at how Luke Littler claimed his second consecutive World Darts Championship title, beating Gian van Veen in the final

'He better watch his back!' - Humphries ready to push Littler

Humphries despatched Danny Noppert and Gian van Veen in straight sets before narrowly falling short in his title defence to Littler, although saw positives in his game ahead of his bid for back-to-back Premier League victories.

"It's exciting because I can go away this weekend and think my game is in a good place again," Humphries told ITV. "A little one per cent on top of what I've already done this week could be detrimental to challenging Luke a bit more.

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Wayne Mardle provided an alternate angle of Luke Humphries' nine-darter at the Winmau World Masters, as he watched it with Luke Littler

"He's got to watch his back. I'm feeling really good about my game. Of course I'm gutted not to win it but you do take the positives. it's been a great tournament for me.

"I proved again why I am the second-best player in the world. I know it's not an achievement, but I proved that today and this week. I'm going to try and be the best, but it's going to be hard, trust me."

Luke Humphries [Taylor Lanning/PDC]
Image: Luke Humphries was looking to become the first back-to-back winner of the World Masters since Michael van Gerwen

On his rivalry with Humphries, Littler said: "Luke [Humphries] should go off stage there happy with his own performance. I just got the better of him in that last set there. Luke will bounce back. The Premier League is coming up and you're going to see performances week in, week out from all of us.

"We always play well against each other. The pace and the rhythm of the game suits us both and that's why you see the best out of us."

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Speaking on Love The Darts, Chris Murphy and Michael Bridge discuss the reaction Luke Littler will get from the crowd at Premier League venues

What's next?

Premier League Darts is back for a new season on Thursday, live on Sky Sports, with Newcastle hosting the opening night of 17-week schedule in venues across the UK, Ireland and Europe.

The opening night sees Littler take on Gian Van Veen - in a repeat of the World Darts Championship final, with Jonny Clayton or Rock awaiting the winner, while Humphries plays fellow former world champion Price and Michael Van Gerwen goes up against Stephen Bunting.

Sky Sports remains the home of the Premier League in 2026, with every night exclusively live along with the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and more. Stream darts and more top sport with no contract.