Just under two weeks ago, Luke Littler passed Luke Humphries in the PDC Order of Merit rankings to become the new world number one in darts.
Luke Humphries claimed the number one spot after winning several PDC major ranking titles through 2023-2024 including the 2024 World Darts Championship.
From his first ranking major title at the 2023 World Grand Prix to his most recent earlier this year at the 2025 Winmau World Masters, Humphries had earned £1.9 million in prize money.
This was close to becoming the first player to earn £2 million in earnings on the two-year OoM ranking table.
Luke Littler has been just as dominant though, having won six PDC major ranking titles this year alone, including the 2025 World Darts Championship.
He currently sits on £1,970,500 at the time of writing going into the highest paying World Championship tournament of all time where the winner is set to receive £1 million…
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2026 World Championship Prize Money Set to Skew PDC Rankings?
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are the top two in the world and the only players to have over £1 million in prize money over the two-year ranking system.
Either player winning would push them to £2 million+ in earnings and would create an even more sizable gap between them and all other players.
Alternatively, a lower ranked player could now win the World Championship and it would catapult them to second or third in the rankings (depending on how Luke Humphries finishes).
This has created some controversy between darts fans and commentators since it was announced and Michael van Gerwen, current world number three, has also commented on it.
MVG is in third place with £681,250 in OoM earnings, were he to win the 2026 World Championship title, he still wouldn’t earn enough to become the world number one.
Earlier this week, he stated that he’s been saying for ‘years’ that the ranking system needs to change to a point based system.
Read more – Michael van Gerwen believes PDC darts ranking system needs to change
Luke Humphries has since countered the comments by MVG stating that a ranking system change won’t make a difference…
Luke Humphries Doesn’t Think Changing Darts Ranking System Would Matter
Speaking to media at the 2026 World Championship draw earlier this week, Luke Humphries was asked his opinion on the ranking change suggestion by Michael van Gerwen and Cool Hand responded:
“That’s what someone would say if they’re not at the top.
“That’s what someone would say if they’re not me and Luke [Littler], you would say let’s have it on points because it helps subtract to you, it’s in your favour then isn’t it?
“I don’t really care if it’s points based, or money, or whatever it is, I don’t care.
“If it was point based we’d still be the top two, I don’t think anything changes does it? I think it’s 15 major finals in the last two years, if you’re doing it on points it won’t be any different.
“Whatever way you do it, Luke would still be number one and I’d be number two.”
Since the 2024 World Championship when Luke Humphries lifted the title while Luke Littler finished runner-up, the pair have been to 14 of a possible 15* PDC Major ranking finals between them.
*Winamu World Master became a ranking title in 2025
They’ve won 11 of these available titles between them, so Humphries comments are fair in that they have been the most dominant players over the last two years by a wide margin.
Any ranking system would still have them at the top.
See his full interview provided by Darts Now below:
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