Fifa fan, kebab lover and 17-year-old darts phenomenon: who is Luke Littler, the new world champion ?

World darts champion at just 17, the steel-nerved prodigy Luke Littler has won the hearts of his fellow Brits who have become passionate about the rise of this endearing teenager, a fan of kebabs and video games.

On Friday, the English prince blew away Dutch King Michael van Gerwen and his three crowns (2014, 2017 and 2019) in the frenzied atmosphere of London's Alexandra Palace to become the youngest winner of the World Darts Championship, a British passion.

Moved to tears, Luke Littler held the trophy aloft in front of hundreds of cheering fans, most of them in costume. “I can't believe it,” he repeated, as if in disbelief. The young bearded man in the purple polo shirt is no longer the virtual unknown who, at 16 years old and to everyone's surprise, had invited himself to the previous final, last year at the same place.

At the time, the teenager had played only a handful of professional matches and was ranked only 164th in the world in the sport that is the favourite of pubs, followed mainly in the Anglo-Saxon world. Now, Littler shares TV sets with Hollywood movie stars and his prowess is scrutinised, dissected and highlighted by Sky Sports, delighted with the exposure brought by such a phenomenon.

Just a year ago, his final against Luke Humphries was the most-watched sporting event, outside of football, in the 34-year history of the English broadcaster, with 4.8 million viewers. And the next day, the press had eyes only for Luke “The Nuke”, despite the defeat.

Humor and frankness

With his skill and precision, the young shooter from the north of England wowed fans of these crazy and abundantly alcoholic tournaments. When the United Kingdom discovered him in early 2024, he had also created a sensation with his humor and frankness, revealing a lifestyle that is the opposite of that of a professional athlete.

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“I don't get up before noon, I eat my cheese and ham omelette, then a pizza and I train”, between two games of video games, especially the football game, Fifa, he had said. Impressively calm during his matches, the champion threw his first dart at the age of 18 months and videos shot by his family show him playing while still in a diaper.

“At ten, he was already much stronger”than other youngsters his age, his former St Helens darts academy coach Karl Holden recalled to the BBC. Living in Warrington, between Manchester and Liverpool, Littler has attracted the sympathy of many sportsmen, the support of sponsors like Xbox, his favourite console, and now exceeds 1.5 million followers on Instagram.

With a dart in hand, Littler was clinical in the final against Michael van Gerwen. MAXPPP – Zac Goodwin

BBC Young Sportsman of the Year 2024

After winning ten trophies last year and being searched for more online than the King or the British Prime Minister, he has been named the BBC's Young Sportsman of the Year 2024. On this occasion, the teenager with the imposing build was delighted to have contributed to “changing this sport”, whose number of junior academies has doubled since his advent.

Faced with rumours about his age, some British media outlets went so far as to publish photos of his birth certificate, confirming that Littler was indeed born on 21 January 2007. The Englishman, who still has to be officially accompanied by an adult to go to the pub, is now devoting himself full-time to the premier discipline.

He is estimated to have earned nearly $1.5 million (€1.46 million) before tax in 2024 from tournaments and sponsorships, according to Forbes magazine. After his previous final, he made it clear that he would not change his life and would always settle for “a kebab and a can of Tango”, a fizzy drink, after a victory.

British media, however, reported that the teenager had moved to a more comfortable home with his family and that they had treated themselves to a much-anticipated trip to Disney World in Florida.