Editing 2026 IDF European Championship

{{Infobox individual darts tournament
| tournament_name = 2026 IDF European Championship
| dates = 22–25 October 2026
| venue = [[Westfalenhallen]]
| location = [[Dortmund]], Germany
| organisation = [[International Darts Federation|IDF]]
| format = Legs
| prize_fund = £600,000
| winners_share = £120,000
| previous = [[2025 IDF European Championship|2025]]
| next = [[2027 IDF European Championship|2027]]
}}

The '''2026 IDF European Championship''' is an upcoming professional [[darts]] tournament organised by the [[International Darts Federation]] (IDF). It is scheduled to take place from 22 to 25 October 2026 at the [[Westfalenhallen]] in [[Dortmund]], Germany.

The tournament will feature the top 32 players on the 2026 IDF European Tour Order of Merit following the completion of the final European Tour event of the season. Unlike the [[2026 IDF World Grand Prix]], matches will be contested in a straight legs format.

The tournament will have a prize fund of £600,000, with £120,000 awarded to the champion.

[[Elias Storm]], who won the [[2026 IDF World Grand Prix]], is expected to make his return to competition at the event after sustaining a wrist injury during the break following the World Grand Prix.

==Format==
The tournament will feature 32 players in a single-elimination bracket.

All matches will be played in a straight legs format, with players required to finish each leg on a double.

The match lengths will increase throughout the tournament:

* First round: best of 11 legs
* Second round: best of 19 legs
* Quarter-finals: best of 19 legs
* Semi-finals: best of 21 legs
* Final: best of 21 legs

There will be no set play.

==Prize money==
The total prize fund for the tournament will be £600,000.

{| class="wikitable"
! Stage
! Prize money
! Players
! Total
|-
| Winner
| £120,000
| 1
| £120,000
|-
| Runner-up
| £60,000
| 1
| £60,000
|-
| Semi-finalists
| £40,000
| 2
| £80,000
|-
| Quarter-finalists
| £25,000
| 4
| £100,000
|-
| Second round
| £12,500
| 8
| £100,000
|-
| First round
| £8,750
| 16
| £140,000
|-
! colspan="3" | Total
! £600,000
|}

The prize money earned at the tournament will count towards the [[IDF Order of Merit]].

==Qualification==
Qualification for the European Championship will be determined entirely by the 2026 IDF European Tour Order of Merit.

The top 32 players on the European Tour Order of Merit following the final event of the European Tour season will qualify for the tournament.

Players will be seeded from 1 to 32 according to their final positions on the European Tour Order of Merit. The first-round draw will be predetermined according to those rankings, with the highest-ranked qualifiers facing the lowest-ranked qualifiers.

The first-round pairings will be:

* 1st v 32nd
* 16th v 17th
* 8th v 25th
* 9th v 24th
* 4th v 29th
* 13th v 20th
* 5th v 28th
* 12th v 21st
* 2nd v 31st
* 15th v 18th
* 7th v 26th
* 10th v 23rd
* 3rd v 30th
* 14th v 19th
* 6th v 27th
* 11th v 22nd

===Qualifiers===
The 32 qualifiers will be confirmed following the conclusion of the final event on the 2026 IDF European Tour.

{| class="wikitable"
! Position
! Player
! European Tour earnings
|-
| 1
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 2
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 3
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 4
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 5
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 6
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 7
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 8
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 9
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 10
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 11
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 12
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 13
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 14
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 15
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 16
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 17
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 18
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 19
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 20
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 21
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 22
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 23
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 24
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 25
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 26
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 27
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 28
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 29
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 30
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 31
| ''TBC''
| 
|-
| 32
| ''TBC''
|}

==Draw==
The draw will be confirmed following the completion of the 2026 IDF European Tour and the finalisation of the European Tour Order of Merit.

The tournament bracket will be fixed according to the final rankings rather than being determined through an open draw.

==Schedule==
The tournament will be played across six sessions over four days.

{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! Session
! Round
! Matches
|-
| rowspan="2" | 22 October
| Afternoon
| First round
| 4
|-
| Evening
| First round
| 4
|-
| rowspan="2" | 23 October
| Afternoon
| First round
| 4
|-
| Evening
| First round
| 4
|-
| rowspan="2" | 24 October
| Afternoon
| Second round
| 4
|-
| Evening
| Second round
| 4
|-
| rowspan="2" | 25 October
| Afternoon
| Quarter-finals
| 4
|-
| Evening
| Semi-finals and final
| 3
|}

==Background==
The European Championship is one of the principal ranking tournaments on the IDF calendar and is the concluding championship of the annual IDF European Tour.

Qualification differs from most other IDF ranking events, with places awarded exclusively through performances on the European Tour rather than through the main IDF Order of Merit.

The tournament will be Storm's first competitive appearance since his victory at the World Grand Prix. Storm sustained a wrist injury during the subsequent break and did not compete during his recovery.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{IDF European Championship}}
{{2026 in darts}}

[[Category:2026 in darts]]
[[Category:IDF European Championship]]
[[Category:2026 in German sport]]
[[Category:October 2026 sports events in Germany]]