2026 IDF European Championship

2026 IDF European Championship
Tournament information
Dates	22–25 October 2026
Venue	Westfalenhallen
Location	Dortmund, Germany
Organisation(s)	IDF
Format	Legs
Prize fund	£600,000
Winner's share	£120,000
2027»

The 2026 IDF European Championship is a professional darts tournament organised by the International Darts Federation (IDF), taking place from 22 to 25 October 2026 at the Westfalenhallen in Dortmund, Germany.

The tournament features the top 32 players from the final 2026 IDF European Tour Order of Merit. Alex Brow is the defending champion, having won the 2025 IDF European Championship.

The IDF introduced an expanded match format for the 2026 edition, with the second round and quarter-finals increasing to best of 21 legs, the semi-finals to best of 25 legs and the final to best of 31 legs.

Elias Storm made his return to competitive darts at the tournament after missing several weeks with a broken wrist sustained during the break following the 2026 IDF World Grand Prix. Storm narrowly won his opening match against Cole Hamilton 6–5.

Format

The tournament is being played as a 32-player single-elimination event.

All matches are contested in a straight legs format, with players required to finish each leg on a double.

The match lengths are:

• First round: best of 11 legs
• Second round: best of 21 legs
• Quarter-finals: best of 21 legs
• Semi-finals: best of 25 legs
• Final: best of 31 legs

The first round is therefore first to six legs, the second round and quarter-finals first to 11, the semi-finals first to 13, and the final first to 16.

The 2026 tournament is the first edition of the IDF European Championship to feature a best-of-31-legs final.

Prize money

The total prize fund for the tournament is £600,000, with £120,000 awarded to the champion.

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
Total			£600,000

Prize money earned at the tournament counts towards the IDF Order of Merit.

Qualification

Qualification was determined by the final 2026 IDF European Tour Order of Merit following the conclusion of the European Tour season.

The top 32 players qualified for the tournament and were seeded according to their final positions on the European Tour Order of Merit.

Brow finished first on the European Tour Order of Merit and entered the tournament as the top seed. Logan White qualified second, with Max Mad third and Parker Reeves fourth.

Storm qualified fifth despite missing the closing European Tour events after breaking his wrist.

Qualifiers

1. Alex Brow
2. Logan White
3. Max Mad
4. Parker Reeves
5. Elias Storm
6. Quinn Sanders
7. Jack Mercer
8. Wyatt Walker
9. Duncan MacLeod
10. Hunter Jackson
11. Rhys Morgan
12. Bram De Waal – first round
13. Niklas Hofer – first round
14. Benjamin Carter
15. Ethan Mitchell – first round
16. Oliver Bartlett – first round
17. Harry Lewis
18. Callum Pike
19. Blake Carter – first round
20. Jeroen van Dijk
21. Nathan Owens
22. Noah Parker – first round
23. Sean Donovan – first round
24. Lukas Weber – first round
25. Matteo Vermeulen – first round
26. Connor Hayes – first round
27. Mason Kelly – first round
28. Cole Hamilton – first round
29. Jamie Fletcher – first round
30. Daniel McKenna – first round
31. Ryan Thomas – first round
32. Lewis Moorcroft – first round

Tournament summary

First round

The tournament began on 22 October with four matches during the afternoon session.

Eighth seed Wyatt Walker opened the tournament with a 6–2 victory over Matteo Vermeulen. Walker broke throw in the third leg and moved 4–1 ahead before closing out the match in eight legs. He averaged 103.74, compared with Vermeulen's 96.82.

Jeroen van Dijk produced the first upset of the tournament by defeating 13th seed Niklas Hofer 6–5. Hofer led 4–2 before Van Dijk won three consecutive legs to move ahead. Hofer forced a deciding leg, but Van Dijk held throw in 13 darts to complete the victory. Van Dijk averaged 101.46, while Hofer averaged 100.83.

Sixth seed Quinn Sanders defeated Mason Kelly 6–3. Kelly remained within one leg at 4–3 before Sanders won the final two legs, including a 12-dart leg to seal the match. Sanders averaged 104.18 to Kelly's 99.37.

The afternoon session concluded with Harry Lewis defeating 16th seed Oliver Bartlett 6–4. Bartlett led 3–1 before Lewis won four consecutive legs to move 5–3 ahead. Bartlett reduced the deficit in the ninth leg, but Lewis completed the win in the following leg. Lewis averaged 102.29, compared with Bartlett's 100.14.

The evening session began with fourth seed Parker Reeves defeating Jamie Fletcher 6–3. Reeves averaged 104.36, while Fletcher averaged 98.91.

Tenth seed Hunter Jackson defeated Sean Donovan 6–4. Jackson established an early 3–0 advantage before Donovan recovered to level at 3–3, but Jackson won three of the final four legs. Jackson averaged 102.71 compared with Donovan's 100.48.

Defending champion Brow began his title defence with a 6–2 victory over Lewis Moorcroft. Brow averaged 106.92, the highest average of the opening day, while Moorcroft averaged 98.53.

The final match of the opening day marked Storm's first competitive appearance since breaking his wrist. Storm narrowly defeated Cole Hamilton 6–5. Hamilton led 4–2 before Storm won three consecutive legs to move ahead. Hamilton forced a deciding leg, but Storm held throw in 15 darts to progress.

Storm averaged 97.46, while Hamilton averaged 96.88.

The third session was played on the afternoon of 23 October.

Nathan Owens eliminated 12th seed Bram De Waal 6–4. De Waal led 3–1 before Owens won five of the remaining six legs. Owens averaged 102.63, compared with De Waal's 100.91.

Callum Pike defeated 15th seed Ethan Mitchell 6–3. Pike averaged 104.07 and converted six of 11 attempts at double, while Mitchell averaged 99.85.

Eleventh seed Rhys Morgan survived a deciding leg against Noah Parker, winning 6–5. Morgan led 4–1 before Parker won four consecutive legs to move 5–4 ahead. Morgan levelled and then held throw in 14 darts in the deciding leg. Morgan averaged 101.74, while Parker averaged 100.96.

Ninth seed Duncan MacLeod completed the afternoon session with a 6–2 victory over Lukas Weber. MacLeod won the opening four legs and averaged 105.38, compared with Weber's 98.44.

The first round concluded during the evening session on 23 October.

Fourteenth seed Benjamin Carter defeated Blake Carter 6–5 in the opening match. Blake Carter led 3–1 and later 5–4, but Benjamin Carter survived two match darts in the tenth leg to force a decider. He then broke throw with a 14-dart leg to complete the comeback. Benjamin Carter averaged 101.82, while Blake Carter averaged 102.06.

Seventh seed Jack Mercer defeated Connor Hayes 6–4. Mercer opened a 3–1 lead before Hayes levelled at 3–3. Mercer then won three of the remaining four legs, completing the match with a 121 checkout. Mercer averaged 104.62 compared with Hayes's 101.37.

Third seed Max Mad produced a 6–2 victory over Daniel McKenna. Mad won the opening three legs and later moved 5–1 ahead before completing the win in the eighth leg. He averaged 106.31, while McKenna averaged 97.84.

Second seed Logan White completed the first round with a 6–3 victory over Ryan Thomas. Thomas led 2–1 before White won five of the following six legs. White recorded a 107.18 average, the highest of the fourth session and the highest first-round average of the tournament, while Thomas averaged 100.12.

Draw

The draw was confirmed following the completion of the European Tour Order of Merit.

Unlike an open draw, the bracket was determined directly by ranking position, with first playing 32nd, second playing 31st and the remaining players placed into a fixed seeded bracket.

	First round Best of 11 legs					Second round Best of 21 legs					Quarter-finals Best of 21 legs					Semi-finals Best of 25 legs					Final Best of 31 legs
	1	Alex Brow 106.92	6
	32	Lewis Moorcroft 98.53	2
						1	Alex Brow
						17	Harry Lewis
	16	Oliver Bartlett 100.14	4
	17	Harry Lewis 102.29	6
	8	Wyatt Walker 103.74	6
	25	Matteo Vermeulen 96.82	2
						8	Wyatt Walker
						9	Duncan MacLeod
	9	Duncan MacLeod 105.38	6
	24	Lukas Weber 98.44	2
	4	Parker Reeves 104.36	6
	29	Jamie Fletcher 98.91	3
						4	Parker Reeves
						20	Jeroen van Dijk
	13	Niklas Hofer 100.83	5
	20	Jeroen van Dijk 101.46	6
	5	Elias Storm 97.46	6
	28	Cole Hamilton 96.88	5
						5	Elias Storm
						21	Nathan Owens
	12	Bram De Waal 100.91	4
	21	Nathan Owens 102.63	6
	2	Logan White 107.18	6
	31	Ryan Thomas 100.12	3
						2	Logan White
						18	Callum Pike
	15	Ethan Mitchell 99.85	3
	18	Callum Pike 104.07	6
	7	Jack Mercer 104.62	6
	26	Connor Hayes 101.37	4
						7	Jack Mercer
						10	Hunter Jackson
	10	Hunter Jackson 102.71	6
	23	Sean Donovan 100.48	4
	3	Max Mad 106.31	6
	30	Daniel McKenna 97.84	2
						3	Max Mad
						14	Benjamin Carter
	14	Benjamin Carter 101.82	6
	19	Blake Carter 102.06	5
	6	Quinn Sanders 104.18	6
	27	Mason Kelly 99.37	3
						6	Quinn Sanders
						11	Rhys Morgan
	11	Rhys Morgan 101.74	6
	22	Noah Parker 100.96	5

Schedule

22 October

Afternoon session

First round:

• Wyatt Walker (8) 6–2 Matteo Vermeulen (25)
• Jeroen van Dijk (20) 6–5 Niklas Hofer (13)
• Quinn Sanders (6) 6–3 Mason Kelly (27)
• Harry Lewis (17) 6–4 Oliver Bartlett (16)

Evening session

First round:

• Parker Reeves (4) 6–3 Jamie Fletcher (29)
• Hunter Jackson (10) 6–4 Sean Donovan (23)
• Alex Brow (1) 6–2 Lewis Moorcroft (32)
• Elias Storm (5) 6–5 Cole Hamilton (28)

23 October

Afternoon session

First round:

• Nathan Owens (21) 6–4 Bram De Waal (12)
• Callum Pike (18) 6–3 Ethan Mitchell (15)
• Rhys Morgan (11) 6–5 Noah Parker (22)
• Duncan MacLeod (9) 6–2 Lukas Weber (24)

Evening session

First round:

• Benjamin Carter (14) 6–5 Blake Carter (19)
• Jack Mercer (7) 6–4 Connor Hayes (26)
• Max Mad (3) 6–2 Daniel McKenna (30)
• Logan White (2) 6–3 Ryan Thomas (31)

24 October

Afternoon session

Second round:

• Alex Brow (1) v Harry Lewis (17)
• Wyatt Walker (8) v Duncan MacLeod (9)
• Parker Reeves (4) v Jeroen van Dijk (20)
• Elias Storm (5) v Nathan Owens (21)

Evening session

Second round:

• Logan White (2) v Callum Pike (18)
• Jack Mercer (7) v Hunter Jackson (10)
• Max Mad (3) v Benjamin Carter (14)
• Quinn Sanders (6) v Rhys Morgan (11)

25 October

Afternoon session

Quarter-finals:

• Quarter-final 1
• Quarter-final 2
• Quarter-final 3
• Quarter-final 4

Evening session

• Semi-final 1
• Semi-final 2
• Final

Background

Brow entered the tournament as defending champion after winning the 2025 edition.

The 2026 European Championship marks Storm's first competitive appearance since winning the 2026 IDF World Grand Prix. Storm broke his wrist during the subsequent break and withdrew from the remaining events scheduled during his recovery.

Storm was cleared to return shortly before the European Championship. His 97.46 average in his first-round victory over Hamilton was substantially below the level he produced prior to the injury, although he progressed to the second round.