LITTLER NAMED AMONG WORLD SPORT’S MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURES
10/06/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
LUKE LITTLER features on TIME Magazine’s list of the most influential figures in world sport this year.
World No1 Littler has enjoyed a stunning rise in darts, winning 13 PDC major titles and five Euro Tour crowns since turning professional in January 2024.
The Nuke has added the World Championship for a second time, the World Masters, UK Open and Premier League titles to his growing list of honours this season.
The teen sensation’s popularity has exploded, with more than two million Instagram followers and a reported £20million 10-year deal with leading manufacturer Target.
Littler and his family have also benefited from multi-million-pound sponsorship agreements, while last month he was awarded an MBE by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle.
Those achievements have earned him a place on TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026” list.
TIME describe the list as recognising “athletes and coaches to advocates and investors – these are the people shaping sports today”.
Other sporting icons on the list include Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lindsey Vonn and Rory McIlroy.
TIME said: “Luke Littler, the 19-year-old darts player from England, has shaken the foundation of his sport, shattering records and exploding to global fame.
“It’s no wonder his nickname is ‘the Nuke’.
“He reached the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) world championship final at 16 and won his first title the following year.
“He then became the youngest player to earn a world No.1 ranking and promptly defended his championship.
“Coming off those back-to-back triumphs, Littler is the face of a growing game, featured everywhere from an Xbox commercial to an MBE ceremony at Windsor Castle.
“His rise comes at a time of ascendant viewership and increasingly big business for darts.
“Littler’s 2026 PDC world-championship title was the first to come with a grand prize of more than $1million (£750,000).”
Image by Taylor Lanning.
