Luke Littler has been issued with a warning ahead of his World Cup of Darts debut by former winner Simon Whitlock. While The Nuke's ascendency has been rapid, after reaching a world final in 2024, there was one tournament he simply couldn't qualify for.
The World Cup is a pairs competition, with two representatives from each country chosen to do battle. The duos are decided by the PDC Order of Merit, and when it came to last year’s tournament, England were guided to glory for the first time since 2016 by former world champions Luke Humphries and Michael Smith. Littler missed out as both were ranked higher than him at the time. However, this is set to change come Saturday with the world title-holding Nuke set to partner Cool Hand, and while this collaboration seems on paper to be unbeatable, Whitlock has advised caution.
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"I love the World Cup. I mean, it's pairs. It's something different," Whitlock admitted at the launch of the MODUS Super Series 24/7 on Pluto TV. "There's only one tournament in the PDC, the whole calendar [that is a pairs competition], and it's a great tournament.
"But it sort of levels people out. You're not just playing for yourself, you're playing for your partner and your country as well, which makes it unique from everything else, and I really do believe they should be playing more pairs tournaments."
While Whitlock, who beat England, represented by Smith and James Wade, on his way to winning the competition in 2022, expressed how difficult the format can be, he reiterated just how incredible a player Littler truly is.
"Luke Littler, he looks calm; he never looks flustered," Whitlock continued. "I'm not being disrespectful, but he is an absolute freak of darts. He's absolutely brilliant, and he deserves all the wins he gets. He's just an incredible player."
As the PDC's top two prepare to join forces, 18-year-old Littler has already let on exactly how he's feeling before he gets to grace the stage in Frankfurt.
"I cannot wait," Littler excitedly stated when asked about the competition. "Last year, people didn't know it was based on your ranking. Everyone was asking: 'Why is Luke Littler not in the World Cup?' I was like: 'Because I've only just started my career.' But now, obviously, the major ranking money goes on to the rankings."
England will be seeded No. 1 again for the 2025 renewal, as the seedings are calculated based on the average rank of both players. Littler and Humphries will first join forces during the last 16 on Saturday, June 14.