Luke 'The Nuke' Littler defeats Van Gerwen, becoming the youngest champion at the age of 17.

 Luke 'The Nuke' Littler defeats Van Gerwen, becoming the youngest champion at the age of 17.

Seventeen-year-old prodigy Luke 'The Nuke' Littler triumphed over Michael van Gerwen with a score of 7-3 on Friday, making history as the youngest PDC darts world champion and securing a winner's prize of £500,000 ($621,600). The highly anticipated match, held in front of 3,200 enthusiastic fans in elaborate costumes, concluded with a significant defeat for the three-time champion Van Gerwen, aged 35, during his seventh final at North London's Alexandra Palace, commonly referred to as 'Ally Pally.' "I can't believe it. Honestly, I can't believe it," the young champion exclaimed, tears welling in his eyes. Littler, whose remarkable journey began with throwing darts as a toddler, finally realized his dream after finishing as the runner-up last year with a score of 7-4, a match that catapulted him into the public eye. "We both played exceptionally well. I mentioned in my interviews that I needed to start quickly tonight, and that is precisely what I did. Everyone aspires to lift this trophy, but it requires overcoming a challenging field." Littler commenced with a cautious opening set and quickly found his rhythm, scoring two rapid 180s to take a 2-0 lead, winning six of the first seven legs as Van Gerwen struggled with his finishing and displayed visible frustration. Van Gerwen, who will receive £200,000 as the runner-up, managed to win the first leg of the third set, but this proved to be a fleeting moment of hope as Littler surged ahead to a 4-0 lead with a bullseye finish. The Dutch 'Green Machine,' who previously set the record for the youngest world champion at the age of 24 in 2014, demonstrated his determination by winning the fifth set, but his comeback soon faltered. With steady hands and unwavering focus, Littler opened the sixth set with back-to-back 180s and followed up with two more maximum scores, securing the set and extending his lead to 5-1. Although Van Gerwen elevated his performance to narrow the gap to 5-2, Littler, who concluded the tournament with the highest number of 180s, dominated the next set, restoring his lead to 6-2. Another set won by the Dutchman merely delayed the inevitable, as Littler, who will celebrate his 18th birthday on January 21, confidently swept through the final set to claim the prestigious SidThe accumulated emotions were ultimately expressed through two bullseyes and a double 16 to secure the victory. "I gained significant insights last year," he remarked as the festivities subsided. "Earlier today, I reviewed the entire (2024 final) match against Luke (Humphries) and I had a clear vision. "It is possible that I may conclude 2025 without any further victories, but I have acquired one of the finest." Van Gerwen acknowledged that he had not performed to his full potential, which was disappointing, "but that is the reality." "Credit to him. He seized every opportunity and capitalized on every moment to challenge me." "I often say that a star is born every 17 years, and he is one of them." ($1 = 0.8044 pounds).