Darts History in the Westfalenhalle! 23-year-old Dutchman Gian van Veen has won the Machineseeker European Championship, becoming the youngest Darts European Champion of all time. In a high-class and dramatic final, the rising star defeated Luke Humphries 11–10 to claim his first-ever PDC Major title.
“It’s crazy, I had to cry. What a night,” said an overjoyed van Veen after his triumph. “I told my girlfriend I wouldn’t cry when I win my first big title – well, here we are, and I cried.”
Comeback in a Thrilling Final
In his first-ever Major final, van Veen showed incredible composure. After Humphries took a 4–1 lead, the young Dutchman fought back to level at 4–4. At 10–9 up, van Veen missed two match darts, allowing Humphries to equalize at 10–10. But in the deciding leg, van Veen struck coldly and hit his third match dart for a historic victory.
World No. 1 and former World Champion Luke Humphries once again missed out on the European title — one of the few Major trophies still absent from his collection, despite eight career Major wins.
Van Veen’s Road to the Final:
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6–3 win over Damon Heta
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10–2 triumph over Ryan Searle (with an outstanding 109.92 average)
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Quarterfinal victory against Ryan Joyce (10–5)
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11–9 semifinal win against compatriot and four-time champion Michael van Gerwen
Records, Emotions, and German Highlights
The 2025 Machineseeker European Championship was a huge success — both sportingly and atmospherically. With 33,000 fans in attendance, the event set a new record, making Dortmund the second most visited PDC event after the World Championship at London’s iconic Ally Pally.
More Highlights:
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Martin Schindler reached the second round of the European Championship for the first time after a spectacular comeback win against Dave Chisnall.
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Ricardo Pietreczko was the best German performer, reaching the quarterfinals before losing — as in the previous year — to Dutchman Danny Noppert.
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Despite a first-round exit, Stephen Bunting set a record: his losing average of 109.20 against Chris Dobey is the highest in European Championship history.
