Paul Krohne Super League 2026: 0-6 Down to 8-7 Win
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The Paul Krohne Super League 2026 story ended in the most dramatic way possible. Trailing 0-6 in the final at Halle 39 in Hildesheim on Friday 13 November 2026, the 25-year-old refused to give in, fought back leg by leg, and won the deciding leg on double 10 to beat Jan Schmidt 8-7. The prize was far bigger than a trophy: a direct place at the PDC World Darts Championship 2027 at Alexandra Palace.
Krohne stood on the stage in tears after the winning dart landed. Two years earlier he had lost this same final 8-7, and the memory of that defeat had stayed with him. This time the score was the same but the result was reversed, and the road to London was open to him.
The Paul Krohne Super League 2026 Final: From 0-6 Down to Double 10
Schmidt raced into a 6-0 lead, and at that point the match looked all but over. A six-leg deficit in a race to eight is normally a death sentence in darts: the player in front needs only two more legs, while the player behind needs eight in a row just to force a decider.
What followed was a recovery built on patience. Krohne held his nerve, found his scoring rhythm, and took the legs one at a time, while Schmidt found the finishing line moving further away with every leg that slipped past him.
The match reached 7-7, and everything came down to a single deciding leg. Krohne held himself together when it mattered most and sealed the title on double 10. For Schmidt, the defeat will sting: he had played superbly to build that lead and had come within two legs of a World Championship place of his own. Yet finals are decided by the last dart, not the first six legs.
Krohne’s Road to the Final
Krohne did not arrive in the Paul Krohne Super League 2026 final by accident. He had been the form player of the whole event from the start, and his numbers across the week backed that up: consistent, composed under pressure, and able to win the tight matches as well as the comfortable ones.
A Dominant Group Stage
In the group stage, Krohne won nine of his ten matches, the best return in his group and a record that marked him out as the man to beat. His highest group-stage average of 89.98 was also the best recorded by any player in the group phase. His only defeat came against Finn Behrens, and it did him no lasting harm: he won all five of his matches on the second day of group play to extend his lead at the top.
The Last 16: A 104 Checkout at the Right Time
Krohne’s last-16 match against Mika Donnevert showed exactly why he was so hard to beat all week. Donnevert led 2-1 early on and the match was level at 4-4, with neither player able to pull clear. Krohne produced the decisive moment, hitting a 104 checkout to move 5-4 in front, and from there he closed out the match 6-4.
Schmidt’s Route to the Final
Schmidt’s own path was impressive in its own right. He won seven of his ten matches in Group A, finishing second behind Rene Eidams, who won nine of his ten. Schmidt lost both matches against Florian Preis and the return fixture against Eidams, but he won everything else he needed to win. In the last 16 he beat Lukas Nussbaum 6-1, and he carried that form into the opening legs of the final.
What the Win Means: Ally Pally and Nine Germans
The Super League exists for one reason above all others: it is the route to the World Championship for players without a PDC Tour Card. The winner takes a direct place at Alexandra Palace, and for a player outside the professional system that is a life-changing opportunity. Krohne is now qualified for the 2027 World Championship, having earned his place through a week of group matches and knockout darts in Hildesheim.
The result also takes the number of German players qualified for the 2027 World Championship to at least nine. The confirmed names now include Martin Schindler, Niko Springer, Ricardo Pietreczko, Gabriel Clemens, Max Hopp, Lukas Wenig, Daniel Klose and Paul Krohne, and the final total will be set once the late-November qualifiers are complete. That is a remarkable depth of talent for one country. A decade ago, a single German qualifier for the World Championship was a story in itself; now there are nine. The German presence at the World Championship is covered in our guide to the World Darts Championship 2027 field, and the rewards on offer in London are set out in our breakdown of the World Darts Championship 2027 prize money. Fans planning a trip can also read our guide to World Darts Championship 2027 tickets.
A Final Lost, a Final Won: 2024 and the Dutch Open
To understand why this win meant so much to Krohne, it helps to look back two years. In the 2024 Super League final, he lost 8-7 to Kai Gotthardt, the same scoreline by which he has now won. Losing a final by a single leg is painful enough; losing it when a World Championship place is on the line is harder still. Krohne carried that defeat with him into this year, and the symmetry of the two finals will not be lost on him. In 2024 he was the man beaten in the decider; in 2026 he was the man who won it.
Earlier in 2026 he won the Dutch Open, becoming the first German player ever to win the tournament. He beat Corne Groeneveld 3-2 in sets in the final, surviving two match darts before turning the match around. The Dutch Open is one of the biggest open tournaments in the world, and to be the first German to win it is a piece of history that will stay attached to his name.
More recently, Krohne reached the semi-final of the Jena Darts Gala on 7 November 2026, losing to Daryl Gurney. Taken together, the Dutch Open title, the Jena semi-final and now the Super League crown describe a player who has moved up a level in 2026. That progress makes his Super League triumph feel less like a surprise and more like the next step in a season that has been building towards it.
Jan Schmidt: One Door Closes, Two Remain Open
Schmidt leaves Hildesheim without the trophy, but his World Championship hopes are far from over. He still has two clear routes to Alexandra Palace, and the first comes very soon. On 29 November in Minehead, he plays Cam Crabtree in the World Youth Championship final, and winning that final would book his place at the World Championship.
If that route does not work out, four more places will be decided at the Tour Card Holder Qualifier on 30 November, the day after the youth final. The form he showed in Hildesheim suggests he will be a dangerous player in any qualifier he enters.
Schmidt also plays his first Grand Slam of Darts match on Saturday evening, 14 November, against Chris Dobey in Group N, less than 24 hours after the Super League final finished. He will have to travel to Wolverhampton, reset after the most painful defeat of his career so far, and walk out on one of the biggest stages in the sport. It is a brutal turnaround, but also a remarkable opportunity. Our guide to Jan Schmidt at the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 looks at what his debut in Wolverhampton could hold, and the World Youth Championship final 2026 page covers his meeting with Cam Crabtree in Minehead. The wider German story is covered in our look at the German players at the Grand Slam of Darts 2026.
Why the Super League Matters
The PDC Europe Super League is one of the most important tournaments in German darts, and its value goes beyond the trophy. Because it is open only to players without a PDC Tour Card, it gives the best players outside the professional system a genuine pathway to the biggest stage in the sport. Every year, the winner earns a place at Alexandra Palace.
That pathway matters because the gap between the professional tour and the rest of the game is so wide. A Tour Card brings regular ranking events, television exposure and the chance to build a career. Without one, a player has to fight for every opportunity through qualifiers and open events. Krohne’s win also shows how the event rewards players who improve year on year: a finalist in 2024, he went away, won the Dutch Open, and came back in 2026 to finish the job. The full story of the event is set out on our PDC Europe Super League 2026 page, and the Grand Slam draw that Schmidt now heads into is covered in our guide to the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 draw and the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 groups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the PDC Europe Super League 2026?
Paul Krohne won the PDC Europe Super League 2026, beating Jan Schmidt 8-7 in the final at Halle 39 in Hildesheim on Friday 13 November 2026. Krohne trailed 0-6 before fighting back to win the deciding leg on double 10.
What did Paul Krohne win by taking the Super League title?
As well as the title itself, Krohne won a direct place at the PDC World Darts Championship 2027 at Alexandra Palace. The Super League is open to players without a PDC Tour Card, and the winner takes the World Championship place that comes with the event.
How many German players are now qualified for the 2027 World Championship?
At least nine German players are now qualified for the 2027 World Championship. The named qualifiers are Martin Schindler, Niko Springer, Ricardo Pietreczko, Gabriel Clemens, Max Hopp, Lukas Wenig, Daniel Klose and Paul Krohne, with the final total to be set after the late-November qualifiers.
How did Paul Krohne reach the Super League final?
Krohne won nine of his ten group matches and recorded the highest group-stage average of the event at 89.98. In the last 16 he beat Mika Donnevert 6-4, hitting a 104 checkout to move 5-4 ahead after the match had been level at 4-4.
Can Jan Schmidt still qualify for the World Championship?
Yes. Schmidt can still reach Alexandra Palace by winning the World Youth Championship final against Cam Crabtree on 29 November in Minehead. Four more World Championship places will also be decided at the Tour Card Holder Qualifier on 30 November.
When does Jan Schmidt play at the Grand Slam of Darts?
Schmidt plays his first Grand Slam match on Saturday evening, 14 November, against Chris Dobey in Group N, less than 24 hours after the Super League final in Hildesheim.
Conclusion
The Paul Krohne Super League 2026 final will be remembered as one of the great comebacks in German darts. From 0-6 down, Krohne won eight of the next nine legs and took the deciding leg on double 10. It was the perfect answer to his 8-7 defeat in the 2024 final, the crowning moment of a year that already included a historic Dutch Open title, and the win that takes him to Alexandra Palace. For Jan Schmidt, the pain is real, but his story is not finished: a World Youth final and a Grand Slam debut are both waiting. For German darts, the picture has never looked stronger, with at least nine players now heading to the 2027 World Championship.
