The World Cup of Darts is scheduled to take place from 11 to 16 June, and the Netherlands will head into the tournament having seen a notable shift at the top of the national pecking order.
For many years, Michael van Gerwen was the undisputed number one Dutch player. However, Gian van Veen has now overtaken him on the world rankings—a development Van Veen did not miss the chance to joke about during an appearance on the Darts Draait Door podcast, as seen in some light-hearted and humorous footage.
Gian van Veen: “Normally, the number one on the ranking is the team leader. But yes, I think that normally no one would put Van Gerwen as the number two. So, well… I would still probably name him as team leader.”
Vincent van der Voort: “It really characterises Gian, you know—still a bit of modesty and all that. I remember when Michael had just overtaken Raymond, and the first thing he said was: “Ray, you’re just the second player now.” And that first year went completely wrong because of that.”
Gian van Veen: “But do you think Michael would be able to adapt to that situation? If you say that now, would it go well? You don’t know.”
Vincent van der Voort: “I don’t know either. How badly does he want to go to the World Cup if he’s not the one in charge? That matters too. But no, it really shows how you approach things, you know. And I actually find that very nice. Yes. How different the strength is between Van Gerwen and, well, between Raymond and—there’s just such a big difference there. Because in the end, you’re the one who calls the shots.”
Gian van Veen: “Could I also choose to only throw with Noppert, or is that—[laughter]—going a bit too far?
Vincent van der Voort: “Well, you can always ask.”
The runner-up of the 2026 PDC World Championship currently occupies third place on the world rankings with £912,500 in prize money. He is followed closely in fourth place by Van Gerwen, who has earned £691,250. As a result, the two are the logical pairing to represent the Netherlands at the World Cup of Darts, although the question of team leadership now firmly rests with Van Veen.
During the Darts Draait Door podcast, Van Veen playfully addressed the topic after being prompted by Vincent van der Voort—ironically a close friend of Van Gerwen. Van der Voort could clearly be seen enjoying the moment as Van Veen jokingly speculated about who should be the team leader and even whether he should “consider” partnering with Van Gerwen at all.
With the world number three and four forming a duo, the Netherlands will naturally be among the top seeds at the tournament. However, the competition at the very top remains fierce. England will once again be represented by Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, the current world number one and two respectively, making them formidable favourites.
That said, the most recent edition of the World Cup of Darts was won by neither England nor the Netherlands. Instead, Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney claimed the title for Northern Ireland after a thrilling 10–9 victory over Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton of Wales in a dramatic final.
England still lead the all-time winners’ list with five World Cup of Darts titles, followed closely by the Netherlands with four. Wales and Scotland have each claimed two titles, while Australia and Northern Ireland have both lifted the trophy once.