Danny Noppert Loses to Justin Hood in PDC World Championship

Danny Noppert lost to Justin Hood in the PDC World Championship 2026. The match ended 2-3 in favor of Hood on the final day before the Christmas break.

What happened?

Hood won a sudden-death leg to progress to the last 32. Noppert had missed a dart at the bull to win in straight sets.

Why it matters for Danny Noppert

Noppert's loss is a significant upset, given his sixth seed ranking. He fought back to force a decider, creating a victory chance for himself.

What comes next?

The tournament will resume on Saturday, with round three scheduled to get under way. Third-round ties will be played over a longer format than the opening two rounds.

Hood told Sky Sports: "It was a good game and I knew it would be because Danny is a class player." He held his nerve in the final leg to land a 78 finish.

Both players averaged more than 102 and hit more than 40% of their attempts at doubles. Seventeen of the 32 seeds have been knocked out in the opening two rounds.

Noppert was the highest-ranked player to fall so far. Also beaten on Tuesday were two-time former champion Peter Wright and Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney.

Wright lost in straight sets to German debutant Arno Merk. Gurney came out on the wrong side of a deciding set with England's Callan Rydz.

Merk's reward is a third-round match with three-time champion Michael van Gerwen. Rydz will next face 11th seed Josh Rock.

Rock was a dominant winner against Australia's Joe Comito. Scotland's two-time champion Gary Anderson put in a vintage display in a 3-1 win against England's Connor Scutt.

Anderson registered a 105.41 average on the day after his 55th birthday. The tournament will continue on Saturday with the third round.