World Darts Championship draw LIVE: Michael Smith, Luke Humphries and Fallon Sherrock discover first and second round opponents

The World Darts Championship returns in December as 96 international stars head to Alexandra Palace to compete for the Sid Waddell Trophy and claim the title of World Champion.

England’s Michael Smith is the current champion having defeated Michael van Gerwen 7-4 in the 2022/23 showpiece back in January this year. Smith will face either Kevin Doets or Stowe Buntz when he enters the tournament in the second round whil Van Gerwen is set for a clash against Keane Barry or Reynaldo Rivera.

Fallon Sherrock has qualified for the tournament yet again and plays Jermaine Wattimena in the opening round ahead of a potential second round tie versus Martin Schindler.

Relive the World Darts Championship draw live below:

World Darts Championship draw live

• Here’s the full draw for the first two rounds of the World Darts Championship

• Fallon Sherrock, Simon Whitlock and Luke Littler are among the names to play in the first round

• Reigning world champion Michael Smith and other 31 seeded players enter tournament in second round

• Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price will find out their second roun opponents

• “I don’t want to be the former world champion”: Michael Smith ready for World Darts Championship defence

“I don’t want to be the former world champion”: Michael Smith ready for World Darts Championship defence

17:34 , Mike Jones

World champion Michael Smith is not ready to hand his crown over to anyone else as he prepares for the defence of his title.

The 33-year-old lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy for the first time in January after a stunning performance against Michael van Gerwen in the final, hitting a nine-dart finish in the greatest leg in the history of the sport.

He has struggled to live up to the billing of world champion during 2023 but is determined to keep hold of the silverware in the Alexandra Palace tournament which begins next month.

“I don’t want to be the former world champion” says Michael Smith

What is the World Darts Championship prize money?

17:19 , Mike Jones

England’s Michael Smith will defend his title as the World Darts Championship gets underway in December. Smith won last year’s tournament, beating Michael van Gerwen 7-4 in the final to lift the trophy for the first time and he’ll be keen to repeat that success this year.

That won’t be an easy task as 96 players take part in the prestigious championship hoping for their shot at glory. As runner-up back in January, Van Gerwen is seeded second - behind Smith - for this competition with Luke Humphries third and two-time World Champion Peter Wright the fourth seed.

Other big names to compete are 2021 winner Gerwyn Price and World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall who will enter the tournament in the second round due to their protected rankings.

What is the World Darts Championship prize money?

World Darts Championship draw

17:11 , Mike Jones

The second quarter of the draw looks particularly tough with Gerwyn Price, James Wade, Raymond van Barneveld and Gary Anderson all involved on the seeded side of things.

Luke Humphries meanwhile will be pleased to take whoever wins the first round match between Lee Evans or Sandro Eric Sosing.

World Darts Championship draw

17:07 , Mike Jones

And here’s the bracket, split into it’s four sections, on a nice graphic to digest the draw:

World Darts Championship draw

17:05 , Mike Jones

Here is the full draw for the first two rounds of the World Darts Championship.

1. Michael Smith v Kevin Doets or Stowe Buntz

2. Madars Razman v Mike De Decker or Dragutin Horvat

3. Ross Smith v Niels Zonneveld or Darren Webster

4. Chris Dobey v William O’Connor or Bhav Patel

5. Rob Cross v Mario Vandenbogaerde or Thibault Tricole

6. Jose De Sousa v Richie Edhouse or Jeffrey De Graaf

7. Jonny Clayton v Steve Lennon or Owen Bates

8. Krzysztof Ratajski v Jamie Hughes or David Cameron

9. Peter Wright v Jim Williams or Norman Madhoo

10. Raymond van Barneveld v Radek Szaganski or Marko Kantele

11. James Wade v Matt Campbell or Lourence Ilagan

12. Andrew Gilding v Christian Kist or Luke Littler

13. Gerwyn Price v Connor Scutt r Krzystof Kcuik

14. Brendan Dolan v Mickey Mansell or Xiaochen Zong

15. Dirk van Duijvenbode v Keegan Brown or Boris Krcmar

16. Gary Anderson v Simon Whitlock or Paolo Nebrida

17. Michael van Gerwen v Keane Barry or Reynaldo Rivera

18. Kim Huybrechts v Richard Veenstra or Ben Robb

19. Dimitri van den Bergh v Dylan Slevin or Florian Hempel

20. Stephen Bunting v Ryan Joyce or Alex Spellman

21. Danny Noppert v Scott Williams or Haruki Muramatsu

22. Martin Schindler v Jermaine Wattimena or Fallon Sherrock

23. Damon Heta v Martin Lukeman or Haupai Puha

24. Josh Rock v Luke Woodhouse or Berry van Peer

25. Luke Humphries v Lee Evans or Sandro Eric Sosing

26. Callan Rydz v Ricardo Pietreczko or Mikuru Suzuki

27. Joe Cullen v Jules van Dongen or Darren Penhall

28. Ryan Searle v Ian White or Tomoya Goto

29. Nathan Aspinall v Ricky Evans or Simon Adams

30. Daryl Gurney v Steve Beaton or Wessel Nijman

31. Dave Chisnall v Cameron Menzies or Rusty-Jake Rodriguez

32. Gabriel Clemens v Gian van Veen or Man Lok Leung

World Darts Championship draw

17:00 , Mike Jones

Brendan Dolan (28) faces Mickey Mansell or Xiaochen Zong

Nathan Aspinall (6) plays Ricky Evasn or Simon Adams

Josh Rock (23) plays Luke Woodhouse or Berry van Peer.

World Darts Championship draw

16:53 , Mike Jones

Daryl Gurney (27) will play Steve Beaton or Wessel Nijman.

Dave Chisnall (11) takes on Cameron Menzies or Rusty-Jake Rodriguez.

Gabriel Clemens (22) will play Gian Van Veen or Man Lok Leung.

World Darts Championship draw

16:51 , Mike Jones

Callan Rydz (30) will play either Ricardo Pietrezcko or Mikuru Suzuki.

Joe Cullen (14) takes on Jules Van Dongen or Darren Penhall.

Ryan Searle (19) will play Ian White or Tomoya Goto.

World Darts Championship draw

16:49 , Mike Jones

Martin Schindler (26) will play Jermaine Wattimena or Fallon Sherrock.

Damon Hetta (10) takes on Martin Lukeman or Haupai Puha.

Luke Humphries (3) will play either Lee Evans or Sandro Eric Sosing.

World Darts Championship draw

16:48 , Mike Jones

Dimitri Van Den Bergh (15) will play Dylan Slevin or Florian Hempel.

Stephen Bunting (18) takes on Ryan Joyce or Alex Spellman.

Danny Knopert (7) will play either Scott Williams or Haruki Muramatsu.

World Darts Championship draw

16:46 , Mike Jones

Dirk van Duijvenbode (12) takes on Keegan Brown or Boris Krcmar.

Gary Anderson (21) will face either Simon Whitlock or Paolo Nebrida.

Michael Van Gerwen (2) will play Keane Barry or Reynaldo Rivera.

Kim Huybrechts (21) faces Richard Veenstra or Ben Robb.

World Darts Championship draw

16:44 , Mike Jones

Laurence Gilding faces either Christian Kist or Luke Littler.

James Wade (13) plays either Matt Campbell or Lourence Ilagan.

Gerwyn Price (5) will play Connor Scutt or Krysztof Kychuk.

World Darts Championship draw

16:42 , Mike Jones

Johnny Clayton (9) will play either Steve Lennon or Owen Bates.

Peter Wright (4) will face Jim Williams or Norman Madhoo.

Raymond Van Barneveld (29) takes on either Radek Szaganski or Marcko Kantele.

World Darts Championship draw

16:41 , Mike Jones

Ross Smith (16) faces Niels Zonneveld or Darren Webster.

Chris Dobey (17) faces William O’Connor or Bhav Patel

Rob Cross (8) will play Either Mario Vandenbogaerde or Thibault Tricole

World Darts Championship draw

16:38 , Mike Jones

Madars Razma (32) takes on Mike De Decker or Dragutin Horvat.

World Darts Championship draw

16:37 , Mike Jones

The first and second round draws take place concurrently so first up:

Michael Smith (1) will play Kevin Doets or Stowe Buntz.

World Darts Championship draw

16:36 , Mike Jones

A total of 96 players take part.

The 32 highest-ranked players in the PDC Order of Merit are seeded and go straight to the second round in a fixed bracket.

The next 32 highest-ranked players from the PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit and another 32 qualifiers are then drawn against each other in the first round.

World Darts Championship draw

16:33 , Mike Jones

Here we go.

The World Darts Championship draw is about to get going. Wayne Mardle is speaking on Sky Sports and claims that this tournament will be better than last year’s.

Bold statement.

Full field confirmed

16:28 , Mike Jones

The final four players at the 2024 World Darts Championship have been confirmed in the last few moments.

Florian Hempel impressed in a 7-5 win over Alan Soutar, while Rusty-Jake Rodriguez will also be in north London next month after beating George Killington.

Darren Webster is back for his 11th world championship appearance having beaten Daniel Klose 7-5 and Croatian star Boris Krcmar rounds out the quartet.

Luke Humphries a favourite to win

16:25 , Mike Jones

Luke Humphries is one of the favourites to take the trophy home this year.

Nicknamed Cool Hand Luke, he won isx legs in a row to come from 9-5 down to stun the Michael van Gerwen 11-9 in a thrilling final of the Players Championship Final at Butlins’ Minehead.

It was an incredible fightback and the 28-year-old lifted a third major TV crown within seven weeks.

What is the format?

16:22 , Mike Jones

The World Darts Championship is a set-play tournament. Sets are won by the player who is first to three legs, with opponents taking it in turns to throw first in each set.

First and second round matches are the best-of-five sets. Third and fourth round matches are the best-of-seven sets. Quarter-finals are the best-of-nine sets, semi-finals are the best-of-11 sets and the final is best-of-13 sets.

World Darts Championship draw

16:18 , Mike Jones

The World Darts Championship is the highest-profile tournament on the PDC circuit. It was founded in 1994 following the World Darts Council’s split from the BDO.

The Worlds traditionally starts in mid-December, with the final being played in the New Year. Officially, it is the first PDC tournament of the calendar year.

What is the tournament prize money?

16:14 , Mike Jones

As well as the Sid Waddell Trophy, there is £2.5m in prize money on offer for the World Darts Championship with the champion netting £500,000.

The runner-up earns a cool £200,000 while semi-finalist will pocket £100,000 each and those that reach the quarter-finals winning £50,000.

Fourth round and third round losers earn themselves £35,000 and £25,000 respectively while there is £15,000 on offer for the 32 players knocked out in the second round and the 32 first round losers will take away £7,500.

Who is in the draw?

16:10 , Mike Jones

International Qualifiers

• Luke Littler (England)

• Wessel Nijman (Netherlands)

• Berry van Peer (Netherlands)

• Owen Bates (England)

• Fallon Sherrock (England)

• Mikuru Suzuki (Japan)

• Marko Kantele (Finland)

• Jeffrey de Graaf (Sweden)

• Haruki Muramatsu (Japan)

• Sandro Eric Sosing (Philippines)

• Lourence Ilagan (Philippines)

• Tomoya Goto (Japan)

• Paolo Nebrida (Philippines)

• Reynaldo Rivera (Philippines)

• Man Lok Leung (Hong Kong)

• Darren Penhall (Australia)

• Ben Robb (New Zealand)

• Haupai Puha (New Zealand)

• Alex Spellman (USA)

• David Cameron (Canada)

• Stowe Buntz (USA)

• Thibault Tricole (France)

• Krzysztof Kciuk (Poland)

• Dragutin Horvat (Germany)

• Simon Adams (South Africa)

• Xiaochen Zong (China)

• Norman Madhoo (Guyana)

• Bhav Patel (India)

• Florian Hempel (Germany)

• Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (Austria)

• Darren Webster (England)

• Boris Krcmar (Croatia)

Who is in the draw?

16:07 , Mike Jones

ProTour Order of Merit Qualifiers

• Ricardo Pietreczko (Germany)

• Gian van Veen (Netherlands)

• Ryan Joyce (England)

• Luke Woodhouse (England)

• Mike De Decker (Belgium)

• Ian White (England)

• Jim Williams (Wales)

• Mario Vandenbogaerde (Belgium)

• Radek Szaganski (Poland)

• Richard Veenstra (Netherlands)

• Steve Beaton (England)

• Keane Barry (Ireland)

• Simon Whitlock (Australia)

• Kevin Doets (Netherlands)

• Matt Campbell (Canada)

• Connor Scutt (England)

• Martin Lukeman (England)

• Mickey Mansell (Northern Ireland)

• Dylan Slevin (Ireland)

• Steve Lennon (Ireland)

• William O’Connor (Ireland)

• Scott Williams (England)

• Christian Kist (Netherlands)

• Ricky Evans (England)

• Cameron Menzies (Scotland)

• Lee Evans (England)

• Ritchie Edhouse (England)

• Jermaine Wattimena (Netherlands)

• Jules van Dongen (USA)

• Jamie Hughes (England)

• Niels Zonneveld (Netherlands)

• Keegan Brown (England)

Who is in the draw?

16:04 , Mike Jones

Top 32 seeded players

1. Michael Smith (England)

2. Michael van Gerwen (Netherlands)

3. Luke Humphries (England)

4. Peter Wright (Scotland)

5. Gerwyn Price (Wales)

6. Nathan Aspinall (England)

7. Danny Noppert (Netherlands)

8. Rob Cross (England)

9. Jonny Clayton (Wales)

10. Damon Heta (Australia)

11. Dave Chisnall (England)

12. Dirk van Duijvenbode (Netherlands)

13. James Wade (England)

14. Joe Cullen (England)

15. Dimitri Van den Bergh (Belgium)

16. Ross Smith (England)

17. Chris Dobey (England)

18. Stephen Bunting (England)

19. Ryan Searle (England)

20. Andrew Gilding (England)

21. Gary Anderson (Scotland)

22. Gabriel Clemens (Germany)

23. Josh Rock (Northern Ireland)

24. Krzysztof Ratajski (Poland)

25. Jose de Sousa (Portugal)

26. Martin Schindler (Germany)

27. Daryl Gurney (Northern Ireland)

28. Brendan Dolan (Northern Ireland)

29. Raymond van Barneveld (Netherlands)

30. Callan Rydz (England)

31. Kim Huybrechts (Belgium)

32. Madars Razma (Latvia)

World Darts Championship draw

16:01 , Mike Jones

The World Darts Championship will be held from December 15, 2023 to January 3, 2024 at Alexandra Palace in London. The draw for the tournament will air on Sky Sports News from 4.30pm and can be streamed live on the Sky Sports website.

World Darts Championship draw

15:32 , Mike Jones

Good afternoon darts fans. Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of today’s draw for the World Darts Championship 2023/24 as the 96 players involved in the tournament learn their fates.

There are 32 seeded players, based on the world rankings among other factors, who have protected status meaning they will enter the competition in the second round.

Meanwhile, the first round will be played between 32 Pro Tour players and 32 international qualifiers. The draw takes place at 4.30pm and will be shown live on Sky Sports News.

We’ll have all the updates from the draw so stick with us.