The field and draw for the 2025 European Championship are set, and fans can look forward to fireworks from the very start. Top seed Nathan Aspinall will face two-time European Champion Rob Cross in a blockbuster opening-round encounter.

The tournament runs from October 23 to 26 at the iconic Westfalenhallen in Dortmund, Germany. The 32 best players from this year’s European Tour have qualified based on prize money earned throughout the season.

This marks the 18th edition of the championship, boasting a £600,000 prize fund with £120,000 going to the winner.

A major talking point is the absence of reigning champion Ritchie Edhouse, who failed to qualify – the first time in the tournament’s history that the defending champion isn’t in the field.

Nathan Aspinall has dominated the European Tour in 2025, winning three titles and securing top spot in the rankings. He heads into Dortmund as the favourite, but with Rob Cross waiting in Round One, it’s a tough road to glory.

First Round Draw:

Nathan Aspinall vs Rob Cross
Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Danny Noppert
Josh Rock vs Ricardo Pietreczko
Niko Springer vs Jermaine Wattimena
Luke Littler vs Raymond van Barneveld
James Wade vs Mike De Decker
Luke Humphries vs Krzysztof Ratajski
Gary Anderson vs Cameron Menzies
Martin Schindler vs Dave Chisnall
Ryan Joyce vs Luke Woodhouse
Jonny Clayton vs Ryan Searle
Gian van Veen vs Damon Heta
Stephen Bunting vs Chris Dobey
Wessel Nijman vs Michael van Gerwen
Gerwyn Price vs Daryl Gurney
Ross Smith vs Peter Wright

All opening matches will be played in a best-of-11 legs format, with the first to six legs progressing.