2028 IDF World Championship
| 2028 IDF World Darts Championship | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament information | |||
| Dates | 14 December 2027 – 2 January 2028 | ||
| Venue | Alexandra Palace | ||
| Location | London | ||
| Country | Template:ENG | ||
| Organisation(s) | IDF | ||
| Format | Sets Final – best of 11 | ||
| Prize fund | £3,000,000 | ||
| Winner's share | £500,000 | ||
| Nine-dart finish | Yes (Third round – Tyler Brooks) | ||
| High checkout | 167 Matthew Keane | ||
| Champion(s) | |||
| Matthew Keane | |||
| |||
The 2028 IDF World Darts Championship was a professional darts tournament that was held from 14 December 2027 to 2 January 2028 at Alexandra Palace in London, England. It was the 37th edition of the World Darts Championship to be organised by the International Darts Federation and the 20th consecutive year the tournament was held at Alexandra Palace. The champion received £500,000 from a total prize fund of £3,000,000.
The tournament featured 96 players, with the top 32 ranked players on the IDF Order of Merit seeded into the second round. Tyler Brooks entered as the defending champion, having defeated Elias Storm 6–4 in the 2027 final. However, Brooks was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Bentley Quade, ending his title defence.
The tournament was won by Matthew Keane, who defeated Elias Storm 6–5 in a dramatic final to claim his first world title. Keane, who had never progressed beyond the quarter-finals in his previous appearances, came through two final set deciders en route to the title, including a comeback from 3–1 down against Henry Cobb in the semi-finals. In the final, Storm led 5–4 and missed two darts to win the title, before Keane produced a 14-darter to force a deciding set and sealed the victory with a 167 checkout. Keane became the fourth different player to win the IDF World Championship in four years and the first Welshman to lift the trophy.
Tyson Hale and Tyler Brooks both hit nine-dart finishes during the tournament, with Hale’s effort in the second round being the first ever televised perfect leg by an Australian player. Hale’s nine-darter was the only leg he won in that match, as he lost 3–1 to Elias Storm.
Format[edit | edit source]
The championship used the standard set-play format, with matches increasing in length as the tournament progressed. Each set consisted of the best of five legs. First and second round matches were played as best-of-five sets, third round and quarter-finals were best-of-seven, semi-finals best-of-nine, and the final was best-of-eleven sets.
Prize money[edit | edit source]
The total prize fund remained at £3,000,000 for the fourth consecutive year, with £500,000 awarded to the winner and £200,000 to the runner-up. A bonus of £10,000 was awarded to each player who hit a nine-dart finish.
| Position | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Winner | £500,000 |
| Runner-up | £200,000 |
| Semi-finalists | £100,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | £50,000 |
| Last 16 | £30,000 |
| Last 32 | £20,000 |
| Last 64 | £15,000 |
| First round | £7,500 |
| Nine-dart bonus | £10,000 |
Tournament summary[edit | edit source]
First round[edit | edit source]
The opening round included several tight matches, with four contests going to final set tiebreaks. Dutch qualifier Erik de Wilde came from two sets down to defeat Freddie Pike 3–2 in a match featuring thirteen 180s. Reza Aslani impressed again with a straight-sets win over Koji Nakamura, while debutant Elijah Moretti of Canada knocked out former quarter-finalist Dean Maddox in four sets.
Zane Holloway comfortably progressed with a 3–0 victory over German qualifier Finn Müller, showing glimpses of the form that took him to the 2026 final.
Second round[edit | edit source]
The second round saw the entry of the top 32 seeds, and with it, the first major upset of the tournament. Former champion Liam Renshaw was defeated 3–1 by Hayden Beck, whose relentless scoring proved too much in the deciding set. Elias Storm dropped a set against Tyson Hale but otherwise dominated the match, with an early 160 checkout and a 106.5 average. Hale managed just one leg — his perfect one — producing the tournament’s first nine-darter before being overpowered.
Tyler Brooks opened his title defence with a 3–0 win over Felix Kraus. Bentley Quade, Marco Flynn, and Nico Vance also progressed, while Alex Brow lost a dramatic fifth set to Sweden’s Tomas Lindström despite averaging over 95.
Third round[edit | edit source]
The third round featured one of the highest-quality sessions in tournament history, with four matches averaging over 100. Tyler Brooks hit a nine-darter in the third leg of set four during his 4–2 victory over Reza Aslani, while Elias Storm came through a surprisingly tough challenge against Jamie Rowe, winning 4–3 after trailing 2–0. Matthew Keane defeated Zane Holloway 4–1 in a rematch of their 2026 quarter-final, once again proving too clinical in the key moments.
Bentley Quade eliminated fourth seed Nico Vance 4–0 with a dominant performance, and Marco Flynn beat Hayden Beck in a final set decider.
Quarter-finals[edit | edit source]
Tyler Brooks was eliminated in the last eight by Bentley Quade in a match filled with drama. Brooks led 2–0 and missed two darts to go 3–0 up, before Quade responded with an eight-leg burst to take the match 4–2. Quade averaged 100.3 and finished 11 of 19 attempts on doubles.
Elias Storm ended Marco Flynn’s run with a 4–1 win, producing a 108 average in the final two sets. Matthew Keane edged past Jamie Rowe 4–3 in a topsy-turvy match that saw both players break throw repeatedly. Henry Cobb defeated Tomas Lindström 4–2, setting up a rematch with Keane from their heated group-stage encounter at the 2027 Masters.
Semi-finals[edit | edit source]
The first semi-final saw Elias Storm defeat Bentley Quade 5–2 in a match more competitive than the scoreline suggested. Quade missed three set darts to tie the match at 2–2, and Storm capitalised with a 12-dart leg and a 152 checkout to shift momentum. Storm’s average of 102.9 was the highest of the semi-finals.
In the second semi-final, Matthew Keane overcame Henry Cobb 5–4 in one of the greatest matches in tournament history. Cobb led 3–1 and was averaging over 103 before Keane won three of the next four sets to force a decider. In the final leg of the final set, Keane finished 82 on the bull after Cobb missed tops for a 108 out.
Final[edit | edit source]
The final between Elias Storm and Matthew Keane was the first to feature a Welsh player since the IDF's foundation. Storm started quickly, taking the opening set with legs of 13, 14, and 11 darts. Keane responded by winning three of the next four sets to lead 3–2 at the interval.
Storm then found another gear, winning sets six and seven with back-to-back 15-darters and edging into a 4–3 lead. The eighth set went to a deciding leg, where Keane hit double 10 to level at 4–4. Storm again pulled ahead in the ninth with a 124 finish, but missed two match darts in the tenth set, allowing Keane to force a decider.
The eleventh set saw both players hold throw until Keane broke with a 14-darter, then returned to finish 167 on the bull to win the title.
Statistics[edit | edit source]
- Highest average: 106.5 – Elias Storm (Second round)
- Most 180s: Tyler Brooks – 51
- Highest checkout: 167 – Matthew Keane (Final)
- Nine-dart finishes: Tyson Hale (Second round), Tyler Brooks (Third round)
- Most legs won: Elias Storm – 84
- Most sets dropped by champion: 11