Vincent van der Voort World Darts Championship 2027: Out

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1. Vincent van der Voort World Darts Championship 2027: The Decision Is Final
2. Why Van der Voort Said No: Body and Broadcast Work
3. The Dutch and Belgian Qualifier on 14 November 2026
4. Van den Bergh Out Too: A Qualifier Loses Two Big Names
5. Sixteen Appearances: Van der Voort’s Ally Pally History
6. The Hints That Raised Hopes
7. What It Means for the 2027 Field
8. Frequently Asked Questions
9. Conclusion

The vincent van der voort world darts championship 2027 question has been answered, and the answer is no. Vincent van der Voort has ruled out a comeback at Alexandra Palace, confirming that he will not enter the Dutch and Belgian qualifying tournament on Saturday 14 November 2026, where one place in the 128-player field for the 2027 World Championship is up for grabs. After weeks of hints that he had not ruled out a return, the Dutchman has now made his final decision: he will not be trying to qualify for the sport’s biggest event.

Van der Voort made the announcement on the latest episode of the Darts Draait Door podcast, leaving no room for doubt: “I’m not going to do it. That’s 100 per cent certain.” For a player who competed at every edition of the PDC World Championship from 2008 until he failed to qualify for the 2024 tournament, it is the definitive end of a comeback story many fans had hoped might still have one more chapter.

Vincent van der Voort World Darts Championship 2027: The Decision Is Final

The qualifying tournament for Dutch and Belgian players takes place on Saturday 14 November 2026 at De Maaspoort in Den Bosch, and the winner takes the last remaining place on offer from that route into the World Championship field. With the event just days away, Van der Voort has removed himself from the conversation entirely.

That speculation had a real basis. Although he has not played on the professional circuit for the past two years, Van der Voort had hinted in recent weeks that he had not ruled out trying to qualify. For supporters who remember his sixteen appearances at Alexandra Palace, those hints kept hope alive.

His reasoning is straightforward. Van der Voort said he only considered entering because he wanted to be sure he could genuinely compete, and he has concluded that he cannot over the full length of a qualifying day. “It’s not going to happen. I considered it, but decided against it. You should only enter if you think you can win. I don’t think that at the moment. I can produce a good level, but I’d have to sustain it for five or six matches.” It is a clear-eyed assessment from a player who knows exactly what a day of qualifier darts demands.

Why Van der Voort Said No: Body and Broadcast Work

Physical condition is the main factor behind the decision. Van der Voort has been open about the toll that years of professional darts took on his body, and the prospect of a long day at the oche in Den Bosch made the problem impossible to ignore. A qualifier is not a single match under the lights; it is a marathon of five or six matches, played back to back from morning until evening.

He explained the reality in blunt terms on the podcast: “But if I have to play from nine in the morning until around six in the evening, I don’t think I can manage that now. By the middle of the day, my body starts to hurt all over, from head to toe. It’s simply not going to happen.” The pain he has spoken about before, in his back, knees and neck, is not a distant memory. It is a daily reality, and it is the reason the comeback will not happen.

The decision came down to three things:

• His body: pain in his back, knees and neck that builds through a long day at the oche.
• The format: five or six matches from nine in the morning until around six in the evening.
• His work: broadcasting commitments with Viaplay that now fill his diary.

Van der Voort has built a second career in broadcasting since stepping away from the professional circuit. Rather than enter and fall short, he has chosen to be honest about where he stands.

The Dutch and Belgian Qualifier on 14 November 2026

The tournament Van der Voort has turned down is one of the last routes into the 2027 World Championship. Played at De Maaspoort in Den Bosch on Saturday 14 November 2026, it brings together Dutch and Belgian players competing for a single place at Alexandra Palace, with the winner joining the 128-player field when the championship begins on 11 December 2026.

For the players who do take part, the reward is enormous: a guaranteed appearance on the biggest stage in darts and a share of the prize fund. The full picture of how the 128 places are filled is set out in our World Darts Championship 2027 qualifiers guide, while the confirmed names so far are listed in our World Darts Championship 2027 field post.

Van den Bergh Out Too: A Qualifier Loses Two Big Names

Van der Voort is not the only notable absentee from the Den Bosch qualifier. Dimitri Van den Bergh has also pulled out of the same event, and has withdrawn from the Tour Card Holder Qualifier on 30 November as well. With two of the biggest names missing, the door is open for a less familiar name to take the single place on offer.

The full story of the Belgian’s withdrawal is covered in our Dimitri Van den Bergh World Darts Championship 2027 article. Taken together, the two withdrawals change the shape of the qualifier completely. Where fans might have expected a field headed by established stars, the event is now a genuine open contest, and the winner is likely to be a player seizing the opportunity of a lifetime.

Sixteen Appearances: Van der Voort’s Ally Pally History

Van der Voort made sixteen appearances at the PDC World Championship, competing at every edition from 2008 until he failed to qualify for the 2024 tournament. That run marks him out as one of the most durable Dutch players of his generation.

His best runs came in the quarter-finals. In 2011 he reached the last eight, where he lost to Adrian Lewis, who went on to win the title that year. Four years later, in 2015, he reached the quarter-finals again, this time losing to Phil Taylor, the sixteen-time world champion. Reaching the last eight twice, losing both times to a player who either won the title or defined the era, is a record few players can match.

He lost his PDC Tour Card after the 2024 season, and announced his retirement from professional darts in December 2025, citing pain in his back, knees and neck. The decision not to enter the 2026 qualifier is consistent with everything he said when he stepped away: the body that carried him through sixteen World Championships can no longer be relied on for a full day of competitive darts.

The Hints That Raised Hopes

What made the last few weeks different was that Van der Voort himself had kept the door open. Despite two years away from the professional circuit, he had hinted that he had not ruled out trying to qualify. For a player of his standing, even a hint is enough to start a story, and fans began to wonder whether one of the sport’s most recognisable characters might return to the Palace for one more run.

Those hopes should now be set aside. The podcast announcement was not a decision deferred until after the qualifier. It was a final answer, delivered in his own words, by a man who has weighed the decision properly. The vincent van der voort world darts championship 2027 story, which began with a hint and a hope, ends with a clear and honest no.

What It Means for the 2027 Field

The 2027 World Championship will go ahead without Van der Voort. The tournament runs from 11 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 at Alexandra Palace, with 128 players competing for the biggest prize in the sport, and a prize fund that rewards every round, as set out in our World Darts Championship 2027 prize money breakdown.

Van der Voort’s absence is part of a wider pattern of familiar names missing from the major events this winter. Our Grand Slam of Darts 2026 absentees guide looks at the big names who will not be in Wolverhampton this month. As one generation steps aside, another takes its place, and the qualifier in Den Bosch will give one player the chance to join the field at Alexandra Palace.

For fans planning to follow the championship, tickets for the sessions at Alexandra Palace are covered in our World Darts Championship 2027 tickets guide, and broadcast details for every region are in our what channel is the World Darts Championship on guide. The full tournament hub, with the schedule for every session, is our darts schedule page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Vincent van der Voort play at the World Darts Championship 2027?

No. Van der Voort has confirmed he will not enter the Dutch and Belgian qualifying tournament on 14 November 2026, his route into the field. He announced the decision on the Darts Draait Door podcast, saying: “I’m not going to do it. That’s 100 per cent certain.”

Why did Van der Voort decide not to enter the qualifier?

Physical condition is the main factor, plus work commitments with Viaplay. He said he can still produce a good level but could not sustain it for five or six matches from nine in the morning until around six in the evening, and that by the middle of the day his body starts to hurt all over, from head to toe.

When and where is the Dutch and Belgian qualifier?

Saturday 14 November 2026, at De Maaspoort in Den Bosch. One World Championship place is up for grabs for the winner.

How many times did Van der Voort play at the World Championship?

Sixteen appearances, at every edition from 2008 until he failed to qualify for the 2024 tournament. His best results were quarter-final runs in 2011, losing to eventual champion Adrian Lewis, and in 2015, losing to Phil Taylor.

When did Van der Voort retire from professional darts?

He announced his retirement in December 2025, citing pain in his back, knees and neck, after losing his PDC Tour Card following the 2024 season. He has not played on the professional circuit for the past two years.

Who else has pulled out of the Dutch and Belgian qualifier?

Dimitri Van den Bergh has also pulled out of the same qualifier, and he has withdrawn from the Tour Card Holder Qualifier on 30 November as well.

Conclusion

The vincent van der voort world darts championship 2027 story is over before it began, and Van der Voort deserves credit for the honesty with which he has ended it. He considered the comeback, weighed what his body could still do, and concluded that a full day of qualifier darts was beyond him. Rather than enter and fall short, he has said no, clearly and finally.

His record at Alexandra Palace needs no final chapter. Sixteen appearances, two quarter-finals, and a place in the memories of every fan who watched him play at his rapid best: that is a career worth celebrating on its own terms. The 2027 field will be filled by others, and one of them will earn their place in Den Bosch on Saturday. Van der Voort will be watching, not playing, and on his own evidence that is exactly the right call.