The 2025 World Darts Championship is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in history and Chris Mason has opted for a left-field choice as his dark horse.
The World Darts Championship begins on December 15 after an unlikely year that has seen three new major winners in the former Luke Littler, Mike De Decker, and Ritchie Edhouse.
As well as the new breed upsetting the elite, Luke Humphries has dominated in the UK Open, the World Matchplay, and the Players Championship Finals as he looks to go back-to-back at World Championships for the first time since Gary Anderson in 2015 and 2016.
Despite the competitive field, Chris Mason has plumped for Raymond van Barneveld as his dark horse for the tournament and suggested he could upset some of the big boys.
Chris Mason tips ‘dangerous’ Raymond van Barneveld at World Championships
The Dutchman hasn’t made it past the fourth round stage since 2018, but Mason is tipping the van Barneveld to go far in the Alexandra Palace event.
Speaking to Online Darts, Mason believes the 2007 World Champion’s game perfectly matches the World Darts Championship format.
Mason said: “This might be a situation that suits him perfectly where he can go under the radar. There’s no expectations from him, only his own expectations. He’s a dangerous player Barney.”
Mason believes Barney could roll back the years at this year’s event and even thinks the star could cause trouble for Humphries.
He continued: “[van Barneveld] has that one good game in him. I don’t think he has two or three, but if he can get rid of Nick Kenny or Stowe Buntz, he could give Humphries nightmares and play ordinarily in the next round, which is annoying.”
van Barneveld reached three World Darts Championship semi-finals between 2015 and 2017.
Raymond van Barneveld sends warning to Luke Humphries
If van Barneveld gets through his second-round clash with either Nick Kenny or Stowe Buntz, the Dutchman could face a tricky test with World No. 1 Humphries.
Despite the tricky route in the tournament, van Barneveld remains confident he can give Humphries a good game should it come to it in the third round.
Speaking to Record Sport, the Dutchman said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if I can give Luke a good game or maybe even beat him.
“I can do a lot of damage and everyone knows that. I’m pretty sure if Luke meets me in the third round, he’s pretty sure that he needs to play a good game against me, otherwise I will maybe punish him.
“The whole world knows that, I know that, but it has to happen on that night.”
Barney will play either Kenny or Buntz in the evening session at Alexandra Palace on Saturday, December 21.