Luke Littler: As the darts world converges on Alexandra Palace for the final days of 2025, one name continues to dominate the headlines.
On December 30, 2025, the conversation isn’t just about the incredible skill on display, but the shifting relationship between the fans and the sport’s greatest prodigy.
Luke Littler, now 18 and the undisputed World Number One, has successfully navigated his way into the quarter-finals of the 2025/26 World Darts Championship, but his latest victory over Rob Cross has sparked a firestorm of debate.
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Why Was Luke Littler Booed?
Luke Littler: The atmosphere inside “Ally Pally” on Monday night was unlike anything we’ve seen during Littler’s short but meteoric career.
For the first time on the world stage, the crowd appeared to turn on the defending champion.
So, why was Luke littler booed? The reasons seem to be a mix of traditional sporting psychology and recent international friction.
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Firstly, the Alexandra Palace crowd is famously protective of the underdog.
Having dominated the circuit in 2025 with 27 titles across eight countries, Littler is no longer the “fairytale story”—he is the man to beat.
Furthermore, a significant contingent of German fans in the audience appeared to target Littler following his recent comments about hostile environments in Germany earlier this year.
The situation reached a boiling point during his post-match interview with Emma Paton, where a riled-up Littler sarcastically thanked the crowd for “paying for his prize money.”
It was a polarizing moment that many fans are calling his “heel turn,” transforming from the darling of the sport into its most formidable villain.
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Rob Cross
Luke Littler: While the crowd noise was a major talking point, the quality of the match against rob cross was a reminder of why these two are at the pinnacle of the game.
Cross, the 2018 World Champion, pushed “The Nuke” further than anyone else in this tournament so far.
“Voltage” showed incredible resilience, becoming the first player this year to take a set off Littler in the championship.
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Despite the pressure, Littler’s scoring was nothing short of historic.
He crashed in a staggering 17 maximums (180s) and maintained a 106.58 average.
For a moment in the sixth set, it looked like Cross might force a decider, but Littler responded with a clinical 10-dart leg to seal the 4-2 victory.
Luke Littler After the final dart, Littler turned to the vocal section of the crowd and shouted “What now?”—a clear sign that the hostility had fueled his performance rather than hindered it.
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World Darts Championship
The stakes at the world darts championship have never been higher.
With a total prize fund of £2.5 million, the winner is set to walk away with a life-changing darts prize money of £500,000.
For Littler, the tournament represents a chance to cement his legacy.
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Luke Littler If he manages to defend his title on January 3rd, he will join an elite group of players to have won back-to-back world titles at such a young age.
The 2025/26 edition has seen its fair share of upsets, but the “Big Names” like Ryan Searle and Josh Rock are still in the hunt.
The PDC darts schedule now moves into the business end of the season, with the quarter-finals set to begin on New Year’s Day.
As the world number one, Littler remains the favorite, but he will have to contend with an increasingly boisterous crowd that seems determined to see a new name on the Sid Waddell Trophy.
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Darts Results Today
Looking at the darts results today, the bracket is starting to take a very interesting shape.
Following Littler’s 4-2 triumph, we saw Ryan Searle produce a dominant 4-0 whitewash against James Hurrell, while Justin Hood managed to overcome Ryan Meikle in a tense 4-2 encounter.
