Luke Humphries has withdrawn from the 2026 European Championship in Dortmund after being diagnosed with gastroenteritis, pulling the world No 2 out of an event he was due to contest for the sixth time.
The tournament begins on Thursday October 22 at Dortmund's Westfalenhallen and runs through Sunday October 25, when the final is scheduled for Sunday evening. Humphries had finished as runner-up in the competition last year, but his withdrawal changes the shape of the field before a dart has been thrown.
Kim Huybrechts steps in
Under PDC rules, Humphries was replaced by the highest-ranked non-qualified player, which means Kim Huybrechts enters the draw. He was scheduled to play Ryan Searle on Thursday evening in the first round.
The event format means the schedule moves quickly once play begins, with first-round matches on Thursday and Friday, round-two ties on Saturday, quarter-finals on Sunday afternoon, and the semi-finals and final on Sunday evening. That leaves little time for the field to settle in, and Humphries' absence now becomes one of the early stories of the week in Dortmund.
For Humphries, the withdrawal is an unwelcome interruption after reaching last year's final and coming into the tournament as the world No 2. For Huybrechts, it is a late opportunity to enter the European Championship and take on an immediate first-round assignment against Searle.
