Today is a relatively quiet day at the 2025 Darts World Cup, as only four games will be played in the evening on Wednesday. Among others, Ricky Evans and Nathan Aspinall will return to the Ally Pally.
The first three games of the evening are first round duels. The evening session will conclude with a second round game. The winner of this game will be allowed to return for the third round of the Darts World Cup after the Christmas break.
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Jim Williams vs. Paolo Nebrida (R1)
The evening begins with Jim Williams vs Paolo Nebrida, a duel between an experienced Welshman and an Asian challenger. Williams qualified for the World Darts Championship as number 25 on the Pro Tour. In his three previous appearances at Alexandra Palace, he has always made it past the first round. In the last two years he even survived Christmas and made it to the round of 32.
His opponent Paolo Nebrida will represent the Asian continent in London. The Filipino qualified for the third time in a row via the PDC Asian Tour, a circuit that is going from strength to strength. With four tournament wins in 2024, Nebrida has proven his class at the regional level, but he is still waiting for his first win at the World Championships.
Madars Razma vs. Christian Kist (R1)
In the second game, Madars Razma and Christian Kist face each other. For Kist it is another chance to prove himself at the World Darts Championship. The Dutchman qualified for the tournament at Alexandra Palace via the Challenge Tour. He became world champion at the BDO in 2012. However, his performances at the PDC World Championship were less impressive. Only once, in 2016, did he manage to reach the second round.
Madars Razma is a player who has steadily developed in recent years. The Latvian has now qualified for the World Cup six times in a row and reached the round of 32 last year, his best performance to date. Razma's season has been mixed, with 13 losses in the first round of a Players Championship tournament, but that also includes three quarterfinals and one semifinal. What's interesting is that Kist has won all three historic meetings between these two players, including a convincing 6-2 win in 2024.
Ricky Evans vs Gordon Mathers (R1)
Ricky Evans, known for his fast-paced playing style and flamboyant stage performances, brings traditional Christmas spirit to Alexandra Palace. His walk-on, accompanied by the song Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin' Stevens, is a highlight for fans. Evans, who only secured a ticket to the World Championship on the last day of the Pro Tour, is celebrating his tenth participation. Last year, Evans reached the third round, repeating his results from 2020 and 2021.
Gordon Mathers has secured a place in the World Darts Championship via the Oceanic Masters. He is a player with a special story: The Australian is returning to the Darts World Cup after a three-year absence. In recent years he has undergone a remarkable transformation. He has lost a lot of weight, which seems to have benefited not only his physical health but also his game. Nevertheless, Mathers is having a hard time at Alexandra Palace; His last three participations each ended in direct elimination.
Nathan Aspinall vs Leonard Gates (R2)
The evening ends with the second round match between Nathan Aspinall and Leonard Gates. It's a crucial tournament for Aspinall. The former semi-finalist has struggled to build on his previous successes at the Darts World Cup in recent years. In 2019 and 2020, The Asp reached the semi-finals, but subsequently reached the third round at best. After last year's disappointing second round defeat, Aspinall has something to prove. He needs to perform well, not only to progress in the tournament but also to justify his place in Premier League Darts next year. As a crowd favorite, he has a trump card on his side, but without results it will be difficult.
Leonard Gates already has one win in this tournament. The American beat Cameron Menzies 3-1 and is now in the second round for the second time in his career. Aspinall is definitely the favorite to reach the final, but a good day could cause Gates an upset at the Ally Pally.
Sport1 transmission times during the Darts World Championship
This year's World Darts Championship 2025 can of course be followed live on TV again. The tournament at Alexandra Palace will take place from Sunday December 15th to Friday January 3rd 2025.
The darts rights in German-speaking countries have been held by Sport1 and DAZN for several years. The latter channel will broadcast the entire Darts World Championship, while Sport1 will not show most of the matches live on Saturday, December 21st, but in an exclusive broadcast from 11:00 p.m.
Prize money
The participants of the PDC Darts World Championship 2025 can significantly improve their bills at the Darts World Championship. The 96 participants can share a whopping £2.5 million. This amount is almost 40 times higher than at the very first edition of the PDC World Championship in 1994. At that time the prize money was 64,000 pounds.
The 64 participants who start in the first round of the World Darts Championship will receive prize money of 7,500 pounds anyway. The top 32 in the rankings are guaranteed £15,000. These players will take part in the World Darts Championship from the second round. The amount then continues to increase per round. The new world champion will receive the top prize of £500,000.
format
First round: Best of 5 sets
Second round: Best of 5 sets
Third round: Best of 7 sets
Fourth round: Best of 7 sets
Quarterfinals: Best of 9 sets
Semifinals: Best of 11 sets
Final: Best of 13 sets
There is no tiebreak in the first round if the score is 2-2 after four legs in the fifth set. In this case, the fifth set will be played in sudden death. From the second round onwards, a tie-break rule is applied in all games; A deciding set must be won by two legs. If the score is 5-5 in the final set, a sudden death leg is still played.
Darts World Cup 2025 schedule
Wednesday December 18th
Evening session (from 8:00 p.m.)
Jim Williams vs. Paolo Nebrida (R1)
Madars Razma vs. Christian Kist (R1)
Ricky Evans vs Gordon Mathers (R1)
Nathan Aspinall vs Leonard Gates (R2)
By Nic Gayer
