Rob Cross secured his place at the 2026 World Series of Darts Finals on Monday in Leicester, during the Tour Card Holder Qualifier held at the Mattioli Arena. The former world champion is one of the final four players to qualify for Amsterdam, alongside Kevin Doets, Karel Sedlacek and Callan Rydz.
This is significant because the tournament draw is now complete. Following James Wade’s title win at the Australian Darts Masters, the World Series is already shifting its focus to the final event: 32 players, four days at AFAS Live, and a final stretch that puts several experienced players under pressure.
Cross steps up at just the right moment
For Cross, this qualification is no small matter. It secures his eighth appearance at the World Series Finals, having already reached the final of the event in 2020. His performance today was particularly impressive for its composure in tense moments: a 6-0 victory over Carl Sneyd, a 6-2 win against Brendan Dolan, followed by a match won in the final leg against Peter Wright, before dominating Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 in the decisive clash.
It isn’t the most spectacular result of his season, but it’s exactly the sort of day that can turn a campaign around. Cross avoided the pitfalls of a packed qualifier, with 91 players entered, and has secured a place in a £450,000 tournament where every match can quickly affect both confidence and the end-of-year schedule.
Doets, Sedlacek and Rydz complete the quartet
Kevin Doets will also be in Amsterdam. The Dutchman had to dig deep, particularly against Ricky Evans, whom he beat 6–5 after leading 5–4, before seeing off Andrew Gilding and then Maik Kuivenhoven 6–3. For him, the stakes are twofold: playing on home soil and competing in a third consecutive World Series Final.
The latest qualifier is Karel Sedlacek. The Czech number one will be making his debut in the competition after a solid day’s play, marked by averages in excess of 100 against Jimmy van Schie and Ryan Meikle, followed by an average of 105.22 in the decisive 6-4 victory over Owen Bates. This is not just about securing a place; it’s a real statement of his calibre.
Callan Rydz completes the line-up. The Englishman has racked up five consecutive victories, having beaten Niko Springer, Rob Owen and Daryl Gurney along the way. He too will be competing in his first World Series Finals in Amsterdam.
| Qualified player | Highlight in Leicester |
|---|---|
| Rob Cross | Decisive 6-3 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode |
| Kevin Doets | Third consecutive qualification for the event |
| Karel Sedlacek | Average of 105.22 in his qualifying match |
| Callan Rydz | Five wins on his debut in Amsterdam |
A full field for Amsterdam
The immediate consequence is simple: the 32-player line-up is now finalised. The PDC has confirmed that the 2026 tournament will take place from 17 to 20 September at AFAS Live in Amsterdam, with a prize of 100,000 pounds on offer to the winner. The tournament will feature, notably, Michael van Gerwen, the defending champion and number one seed, as well as world number one Luke Littler.
The day also saw a few notable absentees. Peter Wright, Raymond van Barneveld, Martin Schindler, Mike De Decker, Michael Smith, Krzysztof Ratajski, Ricardo Pietreczko and Dave Chisnall all failed to make the cut. In this sort of qualifier, there’s no room for error: one bad day and you’ll miss out on the final major World Series event.
According to the official PDC statement, confirmed by DartsNews, these four places mark the definitive end of the qualifying process. What happens next will now depend on the draw, and then on the qualifiers’ ability to turn this ticket into a genuine run in Amsterdam.
