2026 Paddy Power World Darts Championship Day Six Preview 

Day five of the Paddy Power World Darts Championship saw some big names progress as Peter Wright and Jonny Clayton booked their spots in the second round.

Brendan Dolan opened the afternoon session with a 3-1 win over Tavis Dudeney before 20-year-old Charlie Manby shocked Cameron Menzies in a five-set thriller. The Scot made the headlines with his outburst on stage after the game, before apologising to the Ally Pally crowd as he exited the stage.

Two-time champion, Peter Wright, rounded up the session with an unattractive victory, beating Noa-Lynn van Leuven 3-0 to set up a second-round tie against German, Arno Merk.

The evening session saw Max Hopp beat world number 38, Martin Lukeman 3-1, with Dirk van Duijvenbode and Jonny Clayton getting the better of Andy Baetens and Adam Lipscomb.

The night was finished off by Connor Scutt, who got the better of Simon Whitlock in a close encounter. The Sniper hit eight maximums on his way to a 3-2 victory, booking his spot in the second round.

2026 Paddy Power World Darts Championship Day Six Preview 

What’s to come on day six?

 Afternoon Session (12.30 GMT) 

Alan Soutar v Teemu Harju 

Day six will get underway with Alan Soutar as he faces the winner of the 2025 Nordic and Baltic championship, Teemu Harju.

The Scot will be looking to rediscover his form from the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, in which he reached the round of 16 in both. The part-time fireman hit an incredible nine darter in March in a match against Luke Littler, a feat he would love to recreate on the Ally Pally stage.

Soots has reached the quarter-final stage of the players championship three times this year and will be hoping to produce a dominant first round display to get his World championship campaign well underway.

His opponent on the main stage, Finnish Teemu Harju. The world number 163 conquered the Nordic and Baltic championship in October as he produced a comfortable 8-2 win in the final against Edwin Torbjornsson.

Making his first appearance in the PDC world championship, Harju comes into the tournament with a 77%-win rate this season, with an average of 86.36 and a checkout rate of 35.29%.

The Fin will be looking to cause an upset first time of asking and will have to showcase his best darts to find a place in the second round.

Nick Kenny v Justin Hood

Next up in the afternoon session is Nick Kenny and Justin Hood.

The Welshman, Kenny, booked his spot at this year’s championships as one of the 32 ProTour Order of Merit Qualifiers and will be making his third appearance at the palace.

The Last-Minute Man has won three out of his last five matches, including victories over Rob Cross and Jeffrey de Graaf at the Players Championship 34 in late October.

Kenny’s contemporary, Justin Hood, earned his first ProTour card in January of this year, after winning in the final stage of the PDC UK Q school.

The Englishman averages 91.43 in his first season as a cardholder, having won just over half of his games, and will be looking to make a good impression in his first game on the Ally Pally stage.

Scott Williams v Paolo Nebrida 

Scott Williams and Paolo Nebrida take centre-stage next in the afternoon session, facing each other for the first time.

Williams knows how to perform at the World Championships, having reached the semi-final stage in 2024, taking down Martin Schindler and Michael Van Gerwen before losing to the eventual champion, Luke Humphries.

Shaggy comes into this year’s tournament as number 36 in the PDC order of merit, winning 51 of his 87 matches this season with an average of 92.50.

Paolo Nebrida is another man to know how it feels to surprise in the Worlds, having reached the third round of the competition in 2024. The Filipino handed shock defeats to Jim Williams and Ross Smith, quickly becoming a fan favourite, however, could not progress any further than the third round.

Could a repeat be on the cards for the Filipino or will Williams prove too much to handle?

Chris Dobey v Xiao Chen Zong

The standout player in the afternoon session, Chris Dobey, will round off the afternoon session against Xiao Chen Zong.

World number eight, Dobey, is heavy favourite in his opening tie, coming into the tournament as world number eight. His recent form saw him reach the quarterfinals of the Players Championship Finals in November, before losing out to Luke Littler.

Hollywood has produced four titles so far this season, averaging 96.92 and will be looking to perform better than his beloved Newcastle United to get the better of the young Chineseplayer and progress to the next round.

Evening Session (19.10 GMT) 

Ricardo Pietreczko v Jose de Sousa 

The evening session of day six begins with a match up between German, Ricardo Pietreczko and Portuguese, Jose de Sousa.

Two players who provide plenty of entertainment on stage, with the lively presence of Pietreckzo and the unpredictability of de Sousa bound to make a highly entertaining match.

Pietreczko has not got a title to his name in the season as of yet, however has progressed through the rounds of tournaments on several occasions, with his best finish coming in the European Championship, in which he reached the quarterfinals.

The Special One has produced a very ordinary season so far, with the 51-year-old producing just 17 wins. De Sousa has not progressed past the round of 32 in a tournament this year butwill look to bring the heat on the biggest stage.

Danny Noppert v Jurjen van der Velde 

An all-Deutch affair takes place next, as the in-form Danny Noppert faces the youth of Jurjen van der Velde.

The collected and consistent Noppert has had an incredible second half of the year, winning a century of matches on his way to six semi-final appearances – two of which he progressed to the final but came out second best. The world number six has banked over £300,000 in prize money and could certainly have an outside shot at the million if he brings the same form.

Jurjen van der Velde has impressed in the PDC Development Tour as of late, claiming two titles to with his most recent victory on the Challenge Tour. At just 23-years-old, van der Velde is capable of finding great rhythm and will look to cause an upset to his Deutch counterpart.

Gerwyn Price v Adam Gawlas 

The penultimate pairing on day six brings Gerwyn Price to the stage as he faces Adam Gawlas.

2021 world champion, Price, has nine titles in the season and has reached the semi final stages in his last two outings. Known for his assertive presence on stage, Gezzy will pile the pressure on Gawlas and look to control the game from the off.

Having won 70.21% of his games and averaging just shy of 100, the Welshman will prove a difficult task for the Czech international, who competes in the tournament for just the second time.

Niko Springer v Joe Comito 

To conclude day six, Niko Springer will take on Australian, Joe Comito.

Winner of the PDC Hungarian Darts Trophy, Springer, will provide a tough task for Joe Comito, with his consistent scoring and orthodox checkout approach.

The composure of the young German has helped him overcome some darting titans in recent times, defeating Gary Anderson and Michael Van Gerwen in the Grand Slam in November.

The Aussie will look to keep up with Springer, however a spot in the next stage looks an unlikely outcome.