Luke Littler lost to Cam Crabtree in the semi-finals of the World Youth Championship on Monday, ending his bid for a second major title in 2026. The 22-year-old from Warrington came back from 2-0 down to level the match, but Crabtree overhauled him late to win 6-5 and book his spot in the final at Minehead, where he will face Jan Schmidt.
Littler’s exit comes after he was beaten by Luke Woodhouse in the first round of the World Grand Prix. The loss ends a tournament in which he appeared almost invincible up to that moment.
Littler’s path to the semi-finals
The favourite Littler came into the World Youth Championship, having won all three matches in the group stage without a loss, and kept that form going in the knockout rounds.
He started by beating Lewis Cook, who is just 16 years old, after Cook went 3-0 ahead and fought back. Then he defeated David Fidler 6-1 and reached the quarter-finals after beating Archie Self 6-4. A 6-2 win over Harrison Leigh carried him into the final four.
But the 23-year-old Crabtree proved too strong in the semi-final. Littler had been dominant throughout the tournament, and his exit came as a surprise to many observers.
The semi-final itself
Crabtree took an early 2-0 lead over Littler, the holder of the 2023 World Youth title. The champion then answered with a punishing run of three legs, opening with a stunning 164 finish. That was followed by two consecutive 14-darters, which put him up 3-2 on the scoreboard.
Crabtree was not deterred. He hit back with 92 and 100 finishes to take a 5-4 lead. Littler responded with a terrific 117 to force a last-leg decider, but Crabtree held firm, firing in a 16-dart hold on double six to prevail with a 97.91 average.
Throughout the contest, the match stayed close, with Littler producing moments of real skill yet unable to keep up a steady level for the whole encounter.
The bigger picture
The competition welcomes participants between the ages of 16 and 24, and it comes with £60,000 in prize money on offer. Littler appeared destined for an undefeated run earlier in the year, yet his attempt to claim every major PDC title in 2026 came up short in Amsterdam.
The British player spoke of being repeatedly whistled at by Dutch supporters. That complaint was followed by a dip in form, compounded by unexpected defeats at the World Grand Prix and now the World Youth Championship.
Why Littler was questioned
Sky Sports commentator Wayne Mardle questioned why Littler entered the World Youth Championship at all. “I don’t know what he wants to gain from it,” he said. “It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“I just don’t see the value time-wise. Because time-management’s everything when you’re playing a lot,” Mardle added.
Littler’s exit from the World Grand Prix could be cause for concern. “I’m never concerned with people losing because this is a hard industry to keep winning,” Mardle said. “The fact that he was winning all those matches on the trot in majors anyway was ridiculous.”
“It was the way he’s been losing. He’s not been playing that well. This is no offence and no disrespect to Luke Woodhouse. Luke Woodhouse actually said himself that it was a scrappy game,” Mardle continued. “It’s the fact that Luke Littler didn’t play well.”
“I just think he’s underperforming right now, for whatever reason,” Mardle concluded. “Bearing in mind we’re humans, we’re not robots, we’re not automatons, we do have off days as well. He’s just having a couple of off days right now.”
What happens next
Germany hosts the European Championship in Dortmund after the Swiss Darts Trophy and the Dutch Darts Championship mark the start of the European Tour’s second half.
The Grand Slam of Darts and World Darts Championship both stream live on Sky Sports, which keeps the channel as the primary place to watch darts. Viewers can also stream through NOW without a contract.
Key facts
- Semi-final result: Luke Littler 5-6 Cam Crabtree
- Final: Crabtree vs Jan Schmidt at Minehead
- Prize money: £60,000 total
- Tournament age limit: 16-24
- Littler: 2023 World Youth Champion
Related tournaments
- World Grand Prix: Littler lost to Luke Woodhouse in the opening stage
- Grand Slam of Darts: live on Sky Sports from November 14
- World Darts Championship: December 10-January 3
The verdict
In recent weeks, Littler’s form has taken a noticeable turn for the worse. The World Grand Prix exit came as a surprise, and the defeat to Crabtree in the semi-finals of the World Youth Championship shows that the issues persist.
Littler has flashed brilliance in this tournament, yet Mardle’s view that he is underperforming holds up. The young star has not been playing at his usual level, despite the flashes of quality.
Mardle’s query regarding whether it is worth heading to the World Youth Championship still stands without an answer. Before the European Tour season picks back up, Littler must first deal with the state of his current game.
Crabtree is through to the final at Minehead, with Littler set to regroup before the next round of matches.
Source material: “Littler beaten in semi-finals of World Youth Championship,” Sky Sports.
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