World Cup 2025: England’s new pairing and Japan’s group route

PDC’s preview dated 11 June 2025 set out a 40-nation World Cup at Frankfurt’s Eissporthalle on 12–15 June. England paired Luke Humphries with World Cup debutant Luke Littler, while Ryusei Azemoto and Tomoya Goto represented Japan.

A new England pair and an established Welsh partnership

Wales named Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price, the partnership that PDC noted had won in 2020 and 2023. Every match in the tournament was to be played as doubles.

That format gives the pairings their importance. Individual achievements explain the names attracting attention, while experience together offers another perspective on the teams. England’s new combination and Wales’ title-winning partnership brought different levels of experience together as pairs.

Japan’s route through Group K

Japan was drawn with Croatia and Switzerland, opening against Croatia on 12 June. Each three-nation group used a round-robin format, with only the winner progressing.

Group matches were best of seven legs, or first to four. With one qualifying place per group, the short opening matches formed a distinct hurdle before the longer knockout stage.

Four nations begin in the last 16

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland entered in round two. The remaining 36 nations contested 12 groups for the other 12 places. Round two through the semi-finals was best of 15 legs, with a best-of-19 final. The announced schedule placed round two on 14 June and the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final on 15 June.