Cam Crabtree defeats Luke Littler 6-5 to reach World Youth Championship final

Semi-final results in Wigan

World number one Luke Littler suffered a 6-5 defeat against Cam Crabtree in the semi-finals of the World Youth Championship at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan. The 19-year-old entered the competition seeking to become the first player to hold both the senior World Championship and the youth crown simultaneously. Crabtree, ranked 68th in the world, matched Littler across eleven legs, with both players posting a 98 three-dart average. The result is Littler's second consecutive exit at the semi-final stage of the youth event, following a loss to Beau Greaves in 2025. Crabtree advances to the final to contest the £15,000 winner's prize.

Littler's tournament bracket run

Littler won seven matches before his semi-final defeat, opening with three 5-1 victories during the round-robin phase against Luuk de Waal, Damien Moore, and Matthias Moors. In the round of 64, 16-year-old Lewis Cook established a 3-0 lead before Littler recovered to win 6-4. A 6-1 victory over David Fidler took the top seed into the round of 16, where 16-year-old Archie Self led 3-2 before Littler secured a 6-4 win. A 6-2 quarter-final victory over Harrison Leigh set up the meeting with Crabtree.

Match averages and tournament rules

Across his round-robin fixtures, Littler recorded three-dart averages of 95 against de Waal, 96 against Moore, and 97 against Moors. Crabtree maintained pace in the semi-final, equalling Littler's 98 average in the final-leg decider. The tournament is restricted to competitors aged 23 or under at the start of the season, leaving Littler eligible to enter four more times in future seasons. Two-time defending champion Gian van Veen, who won the youth title in 2024 and 2025, did not take part in the 2026 field.

Schmidt reaches final for Germany

In the opposing semi-final, 22-year-old German player Jan Schmidt defeated England's Charlie Manby 6-3. Schmidt, playing under the nickname "Lightning", previously defeated Pro Tour event winners Henry Coates and Sebastian Bialecki during the tournament. In the round of 32, Schmidt survived match darts against Denmark's Daniel Kortbek before progressing through the bracket. Schmidt is the first German player to reach the World Youth Championship final since Martin Schindler in 2018, following Max Hopp's victory in 2015. Winning the final would secure Schmidt a debut spot at the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, which starts on 11 December.

Players Championship Finals context

The final between Crabtree and Schmidt takes place on Sunday, 29 November, at the Players Championship Finals in Minehead. Littler won that senior tournament last year but has not qualified for the 2026 edition after missing most Pro Tour events this season. The world number one ranks 126th in the Players Championship order of merit, with only the top 64 earning qualification. Four events remain on the calendar, including two in Den Bosch in the Netherlands, where Littler recently withdrew following crowd reactions. The semi-final defeat follows a first-round exit against Luke Woodhouse at the World Grand Prix and a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton at the World Series of Darts finals.