Darts World Cup 2026: schedule, dates, group stage draw as Northern Ireland defends crown in Frankfurt | Darts News

Wales will begin their bid for a third BetVictor World Cup of Darts title on the opening night of the tournament, with the 40-nation event starting on June 11 with hosts Germany and former champions Australia also in action.

The 2026 World Cup takes place in Frankfurt from 11–14 June, with every match broadcast live on Sky Sports.

The top four ranked countries – England, the Netherlands, defending champions Northern Ireland and Scotland – are seeded and enter the last 16.

England’s Luke Littler and Luke Humphries headline the squads aiming for glory, while Michael van Gerwen joins Gian van Veen for the Netherlands.

Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney chase back-to-back titles and Gary Anderson partners Scotland debutant Cameron Menzies.

The remaining 36 teams are divided into 12 round-robin groups of three, with the winner of each group advancing.

Jonny Clayton partners Wales debutant Nick Kenny in Group C alongside Lithuania and Thailand. Germany, last year’s semi-finalists, see Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pitreco take on the Philippines and New Zealand at home.

Australia’s Damon Hetta takes on Adam Leake against the USA and Canada, while the Republic of Ireland – with William O’Connor and Mickey Mansell – meet Singapore, led by 72-year-old Paul Lim and debutant Uganda.

The opening matches take place on Thursday, with the losing teams returning on Friday afternoon before the decisive group games on Friday evening. The last-16 draw followed that night, with the knockout stages starting on Saturday, with the final scheduled for Sunday 14 June.

2026 World Cup of Darts

Seed in the second round
(1) England
(2) The Netherlands
(3) Northern Ireland
(4) Scotland

Group stage draw

Group A
(5) Germany
Philippines
New Zealand

Group B
(6) Belgium
Hong Kong
Slovenia

Group C
(7) Wales
Lithuania
Thailand

Group D
(8) Ireland
Singapore
Uganda

Group E
(9) Poland
Portugal
Switzerland

Group F
(10) Sweden
South Africa
Mongolia

Group G
(11) Australia
USA
Canada

Group H
(12) Czechia
India
Denmark

Group I
(13) Austria
China
France

Group J
(14) Latvia
Italy
Trinidad and Tobago

Who is the group?
(15) Croatia
Japan
spain

The group arrived
(16) Finland
Norway
Hungary

Group Stage Schedule

All times UK and Ireland

Thursday 11 June (6pm)

Seeded Nation vs Team 2
Czech Republic vs India (H)
Croatia vs Japan (K)
Finland vs Norway (L)
Ireland vs Singapore (D)
Poland x Portugal (E)
Sweden v South Africa (F)
Latvia vs Italy (J)
Belgium vs Hong Kong (B)
Germany vs Philippines (A)
Wales v Lithuania (C)
Austria vs China (I)
Australia vs USA (G)

Friday 12 June

Afternoon Session (11 am)
Thursday Losing Country vs Team 3
Same group order

Evening Session (6 pm)
THURSDAY WINNING COUNTRY VS TEAM 3
Same group order

Saturday 13 June

Afternoon Session (12 noon)
Round two x4

Evening Session (6 pm)
Round two x4

Sunday 14 June

Afternoon Session (12 noon)
Quarter finals

Evening Session (6 pm)
The semi-finals
the final

Watch the 2026 BetVictor World Cup of Darts live on Sky Sports from June 11 to June 14. Get Sky Sports or Stream Darts with no contract.