Ross Smith is the 2026 European champion. On Sunday evening, at the Westfalenhallen in Dortmund, the 37-year-old Englishman beat Martin Schindler 11–8 in the final to claim the second title of his career in the event, four years on from his 2022 victory. The victory is worth £150,000 and takes him to sixth in the world rankings.
Smith didn’t just rack up the legs. He knocked out Luke Woodhouse in the quarter-finals with an average of 107, came from 4-1 down to beat Gerwyn Price in the semi-finals, and then held his own against a German player spurred on by his home crowd. He is now the fifth player in history to win the European Championship more than once, joining Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross and Peter Wright.
A summary of the final session in Dortmund, published by the PDC.
A controlled final, followed by a scare
The first session was a tight affair, with both men holding their throws and cancelling each other out on the doubles. Then Smith kicked into gear. Six legs in a row, a break that turned into a procession, and Schindler watched the final slip through his fingers before even the first quarter of the match was over.
The German narrowly avoided falling seven legs behind. He saved a 20-dart break to stay within striking distance, then went on a run of four legs, with finishes of 116 and 127, to bring the score back to 9–7. The Westfalenhallen roars, and a historic comeback suddenly looks possible. Smith, however, remains unflappable: the final legs stay in the thrower’s hands and the Englishman seals the match 11-8.
Smith’s journey, from an average of 107 to the comeback
The Englishman’s draw was anything but a walk in the park. Karel Sedlacek in the first round, followed by Damon Heta, then Woodhouse – who had knocked out Gian van Veen and thrown a 9-darter in the tournament. Smith came through this quarter-final 10-6 with an average of 107, his highest of the tournament.
The semi-final against Price was a different story. Trailing 4-1 to the Welshman, who had already knocked out Cameron Menzies and Stephen Bunting, Smith fought back, took the lead and won 11-7. He went into the final as the favourite, a status already secured by his European ranking: he had finished the European Tour at the top of the table, ahead of everyone else.
This title adds to his World Series of Darts Finals victory in September and takes him back to sixth in the world rankings. At 37, Smith has enjoyed the most consistent season of his career, one that has taken him out of the ranks of the outsiders capable of a one-off victory.
Schindler: his first final and a ticket to the Grand Slam
Martin Schindler didn’t just play in a final. He kept an entire venue on the edge of their seats and took his game to a whole new level. Germany’s number one had a brilliant Sunday: a 10-1 victory over Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals, followed by an 11-6 win against Krzysztof Ratajski in the semi-finals, without ever letting the match slip from his grasp.
Losing the final is still a defeat, and he knows it. But his post-match comments tell a very different story: “When I started playing darts ten years ago, I wasn’t expecting anything, and today I’m playing in a major final. I tried everything to win, but well done to Ross – he played well. I’ve lost, and yet I’m still very happy. I’ll be at the Grand Slam; it’s probably the best in history.”
This run does indeed secure him a place at the Grand Slam of Darts, from 14 to 22 November in Wolverhampton. The challenge is real, and it’s measured in knockout matches spread over several days.
Littler knocked out in the quarter-finals, Van Veen eliminated in the second round
The drama of the weekend didn’t centre on the final. Luke Littler, tipped as the favourite in almost every draw, lost 6–10 to Ratajski in the quarter-finals. The European Championship remains the only major title missing from his honours list, and the wait will last at least another year.
The defending champion, Gian van Veen, had already bowed out on Saturday, losing 6–10 to Woodhouse in the second round, despite a year that saw him set a European Tour average record of 120.24 in Maastricht. Luke Humphries, meanwhile, had withdrawn before the start of the tournament, having come down with gastroenteritis. Three of the four biggest names in the draw have therefore been knocked out before the semi-finals.
Results from the final day
| Round | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter-finals | Ross Smith v Luke Woodhouse | 10–6 |
| Quarter-finals | Gerwyn Price v Stephen Bunting | 10–3 |
| Quarter-finals | Martin Schindler v Jonny Clayton | 10–1 |
| Quarter-finals | Krzysztof Ratajski v Luke Littler | 10–6 |
| Semi-finals | Ross Smith – Gerwyn Price | 11–7 |
| Semi-finals | Martin Schindler v Krzysztof Ratajski | 11–6 |
| Final | Ross Smith v Martin Schindler | 11–8 |
What this means ahead of the Grand Slam
The European Championship brings the European Tour season to a close and marks the start of the final stretch leading up to the Grand Slam and then the World Championship. The Dortmund tournament had a total prize fund of £750,000, with £150,000 for the winner and £80,000 for the runner-up – an increase on previous editions. Full details of the prize money and format can be found in our comprehensive programme for the 2026 European Championship.
For Smith, the question is now simple: can he maintain this level of play over a longer format, at Wolverhampton and then at Alexandra Palace? He has the credentials of a lower-half draw player capable of knocking out the favourites. He still needs to prove himself over the course of a three-week tournament.
For Schindler, the stage is set. A first major final on home soil, a ticket to the Grand Slam and his status as Germany’s number one finally reflected in his results: the next step is to prove himself outside Germany.
