Van Gerwen clinging to world top 10 as darts heads to the European Championship

Michael van Gerwen's place in darts' world top 10 is hanging by a thread. After an early exit at the Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht last weekend, the three-time world champion has dropped to 10th on the PDC Order of Merit, and the gap to the man directly behind him is just £3,000 heading into this week's European Championship in Dortmund.

What changed in Maastricht

Van Gerwen lost 6-5 to Ireland's William O'Connor in the second round of the final European Tour event of the season, with O'Connor taking out 121 on the bullseye and averaging 101.83 to the Dutchman's 99.27. According to Dartsnews.com, it extended a run in which van Gerwen has not won in his last three European Tour appearances of 2026.

Scotland's Gary Anderson climbed above him into ninth, leaving van Gerwen 10th on £587,500 in ranking prize money. Nathan Aspinall sits 11th on £584,500.

The new-look top 10

Luke Littler remains far clear at the top on £3,113,500, followed by Luke Humphries (£1,062,500) and Gian van Veen (£1,045,750). Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton and James Wade fill fourth to sixth.

Danny Noppert, runner-up in Maastricht, moved up to seventh, overtaking Josh Rock, who did not play last weekend. Anderson is ninth on £591,750, just ahead of van Gerwen.

Further down, Maastricht champion Niels Zonneveld rose to a career-high 28th, Ross Smith climbed to 14th, and O'Connor broke into the world's top 32 for the first time.

Dortmund could decide it

Anderson missed out on qualifying for the European Championship, so the battle for the final top-10 place now mainly involves van Gerwen and Aspinall, who are both in the draw.

Van Gerwen, a four-time European champion, faces fellow Dutchman Kevin Doets in the first round on Friday evening. Aspinall plays Spain's Cristo Reyes in the same Friday session. First-round matches are best of 11 legs, so there is little room for a slow start, and the winner of van Gerwen against Doets would meet Krzysztof Ratajski or Dave Chisnall on Saturday.

Whoever goes further in Dortmund is likely to be in the stronger position, although the exact effect on the rankings will also depend on which prize money drops off the two-year list.

Schedule in Malaysia time

The £750,000 tournament runs from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 October at the Westfalenhallen, with £150,000 for the winner. Gian van Veen begins his title defence against Andrew Gilding on Thursday night, while Littler takes on O'Connor on Friday.

Evening sessions start at 6pm UK time, which is 1am the following morning in Malaysia, so van Gerwen's opener will be early on Saturday local time. On Sunday, after European clocks go back, the quarter-finals start at 12pm UK time (8pm in Malaysia) and the semi-finals and final session at 6pm UK time (2am on Monday in Malaysia).

Key takeaways

• Van Gerwen has slipped to 10th on the PDC Order of Merit after losing 6-5 to William O'Connor in Maastricht.
• He is only £3,000 ahead of 11th-placed Nathan Aspinall.
• Gary Anderson moved up to ninth but is not playing in Dortmund.
• Van Gerwen faces Kevin Doets in the European Championship first round on Friday.
• The final is on Sunday 25 October, early Monday in Malaysia.

FAQ Q: Where is Michael van Gerwen ranked now? A: He is 10th on the PDC Order of Merit with £587,500, after Gary Anderson moved past him.

Q: Who does van Gerwen play at the 2026 European Championship? A: He meets Kevin Doets in the first round on Friday 23 October, a best-of-11-legs match.

Q: What time is the European Championship final in Malaysia? A: The final session starts at 6pm UK time on Sunday 25 October, which is 2am on Monday in Malaysia.

Sources: Dartsnews.com, Sky Sports, PDC