Sometimes, talent alone just isn’t enough—and that was painfully clear in England’s shock exit from the World Cup of Darts.
Despite boasting the world’s top two players, Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, England bowed out early after a rocky and disjointed performance that raised serious questions about their team chemistry.
The Favourites That Fell Flat
Coming into the tournament, Littler and Humphries were tipped to steamroll their way to the title.
With both players holding recent world championship titles and sitting comfortably atop the global rankings, expectations couldn’t have been higher.
But instead of soaring to the top, they stumbled at the first hurdle—losing 8-4 to host nation Germany in their opening match.
It was a stunning upset, and their early exit left fans and fellow pros scratching their heads.
Gerwyn Price Doesn’t Hold Back
Welsh star Gerwyn Price, never one to sugarcoat his thoughts, gave a brutally honest assessment after the match.
Speaking at a Sunday night press conference, Price pointed the finger at what he saw as a complete lack of team spirit from the English duo.
“When we turned up on the first day,” Price began, “there were only two players who didn’t arrive together, didn’t sit together, didn’t act like a team.
I’m not naming names… but they lost their first match.”
Of course, everyone knew exactly who he meant—and when Price’s teammate Jonny Clayton cheekily called him out on it, the room burst into laughter.
Teamwork Missing in Action
Price continued, emphasizing how essential it is to actually function as a team in this tournament format.
“You need to turn up together. Practice together. Sit together. That team ethic matters,” he said.
“They’re both amazing players individually—but it just didn’t work as a team.”
And he didn’t mince his words about their performance: “I wanted them to do well… but they were rubbish!”
A Championship to Forget
For Littler and Humphries, the defeat wasn’t just a surprise—it was downright humiliating.
To make matters more awkward, the match came just hours after both had received MBEs for their contributions to the sport.
The timing couldn’t have been more ironic.
With no wins and no chance to redeem themselves in the tournament, their short-lived run has now become one of the biggest upsets of the World Cup.
Wales Go the Distance… Almost
While England crashed out, Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton powered through to the final, showcasing exactly what a strong team dynamic can do.
Though they ultimately lost in a nail-biting final-leg decider to Northern Ireland, their chemistry on and off the oche stood in stark contrast to England’s disjointed effort.
What Comes Next?
All eyes will now shift to the upcoming World Matchplay in Blackpool, where Littler, Humphries, and Price will once again go head-to-head—but this time as rivals, not teammates.
Whether Littler and Humphries take Price’s criticism to heart remains to be seen.
One thing’s for sure: if they want to lift the World Cup together someday, they’ll need more than just talent—they’ll need to play like a true team.