Germany Eliminates England, Advances in World Cup of Darts

England's bid to retain the World Cup of Darts ended abruptly with an 8-4 defeat to host nation Germany in the second round at Frankfurt's Eissporthalle. The English duo, Luke Littler and Luke Humphries—both recipients of MBEs—struggled particularly with missed doubles, which proved costly against the confident German pair Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko. Germany, buoyed by a partisan home crowd, took an early lead and maintained their advantage, with Pietreczko's critical finishes helping secure the victory. Littler and Humphries managed to rally late but could not overcome Germany's strong performance, who will now face Australia in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Wales, two-time World Cup of Darts champions, dominated the Philippines to advance comfortably to the quarter-finals where they will meet Hong Kong. The tournament has seen several surprises, including the Netherlands' unexpected whitewash of Scotland, underscoring the high drama of the competition.