Footballers As Darts Players: The Pointless But Essential Comparison You Didn't Know You Needed

Footballers Turned Darts Professionals

At long last, the best time of the year has arrived. The time when the majority of the British population crowds around the sofa to watch people throw darts at a board for hours on end, and we wouldn't want it any other way. In the spirit of the Darts season, we thought that it was only right to put forward our biggest shouts for which footballers personify the World's lineup the most. From dodgy barnets to crowd favourites, this is a list that you really won't want to miss.

Gerwyn Price - Bruno Fernandes

We're off to a strong start with this one. Price and Fernandes, the true pantomime villains of their sporting realm. Fernandes will wow you with his performances on the pitch but will also make you want to put your head through a wall as he complains to the referee at any given opportunity. United fans love him; rival fans anything but. I'd say 'an acquired taste' is the best summary of the Portuguese midfielder, a world-class player with the personality of a spoilt child at school.

Gerwyn Price is no different, though the jeers and taunts received are well warranted more often than not. Price seems to thrive off being the bad guy; his over-the-top celebratory reactions fire up the crowd before he moans at them for disturbing his game. You can see why these two would get along.

Gerywn Price with the noise cancelling headphones like a Prime Ty from AFTV 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/eZNIR5vYhl

— (P) Danny Bolton (@dannybolton23) January 1, 2023

Ricky Evans - Anthony Elanga

Quite self-explanatory, this one: speed. We are talking about excessive amounts of pace on display by both athletes. Elanga recently recorded a match speed of 36.70 km/h and ranks consistently near the top of the speed charts while playing in the Premier League. If that wasn't impressive enough, the Newcastle attacker was recorded running a 100 metre sprint in pre-season training and clocked a time of 10.93 seconds (39.75 km/h).

Unfortunately, I find it hard to believe that Ricky Evans will be recording those numbers anytime soon, but what he doesn't have in pace, he sure makes up for in rapid-fire darts. They call him 'Rapid Ricky Evans' for a reason, leaving no room for error as his three throws are made in the blink of an eye. Both are similar in many ways, promising much but delivering little when called upon.

Anthony Elanga doing speed work in off-season with @builtnotbornuk

Hitting a 10.93secs over 100m from a standing start.

Clocked at 39.75 km/h top speed using our GPS unit.

One of the fastest footballers on the planet. Always doing the extras. pic.twitter.com/s4WaINdTbK

— STATSports (@statsports) July 7, 2025

Michael Van Gerwen - Harry Kane

It just had to be. For no reason other than the one you're thinking, Van Gerwen and Kane have more in common than meets the eye. Both are a nightmare for journalists. Imagine being the one having to break down their comments and find the best discussion points - best of luck. While speaking isn't a strength, their ability in the sport cannot be questioned. Kane finally got his hands on silverware this season, and MVG will fancy joining in the success of his long-lost relative.

Peter Wright - Jude Bellingham

Showmen in their own right, these two tend to give the media a lot to talk about. Bellingham can’t seem to escape the limelight in recent times, reflecting his outgoing personality in saying it how it is rather than beating around the bush. The Englishman has the quality to back up his talk, developing a legacy as one of the England greats.

On the topic of legacy, Peter Wright is attempting to run back the years where he’d dominate the sport. Nowadays, the biggest talking point on Wright is his barnet; the multicoloured mohawk and snake combination is one of an acquired taste. Either way, Wright knows how to get the people talking and the fact that he has adopted the Bellingham celebration is quite fitting for two cravers of attention.

Peter Wright's hair for this evening. #WorldMatchplay pic.twitter.com/3FMsIiymEY

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 21, 2016

Luke Littler - Lionel Messi

Two sporting greats. Two very different diets. Litter and Messi headline their respective sports, and recent accolades prove their weight in gold as the best in their fields. I'd say the World Cup is a reasonable equivalent to the World's Dart Championship, both being the reigning holders of these titles. While one dynasty is coming to an end, another has only just begun. Littler may not enjoy this comparison as a United fan, but in the off chance you're seeing this, Luke, are there any Ally Pally tickets going spare??

Fallon Sherrock - Chloe Kelly

Two big characters in the women's sporting sphere but also two very cringe personalities. You wouldn't want to bring a camera around these two; whatever the topic of conversation, rest assured they'll make it about themselves. Perhaps we should give Kelly some leeway, being an integral part of both of the Lionesses' winning European campaigns. And don't we know about it. I am scarred from the number of times I've had to hear, "The first time was so nice, I had to do it twice." For those that need reminding...

"The first time was so nice, we had to do it twice." 🏆🏆

Chloe Kelly 👏👏#WEURO2025 pic.twitter.com/OlNeGG4cOr

— UEFA Women's Nations League (@WEURO2025) July 27, 2025

Sherrock hasn't had it easy in recent years, suffering from a medical condition that has forced her to take a step away from the game. It's hard to be empathetic for someone who has more excuses than notable achievements to date, and I am partly hoping this trend continues to avoid any more gut-wrenching interviews.

Dimitri Van den Bergh - Lucas Paqueta

You can't tell me that Van den Bergh doesn't have a Brazilian passport at home with some of the moves he pulls out on stage. The Belgian is a proper showman, the type of character who goes down favourably with the Ally Pally massive. It's not just the moves that get people talking; he seems to be improving every year and will fancy his chances on the big stage.

A man with flair and groove in abundance, West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá loves to pull out a move when he is not being investigated for match-fixing. He has established a reputation due to his dancing abilities and has even got his teammates in on the act when The Hammers achieve a rare victory.

Paqueta’s dance against Freiburg last night 🕺 🔥 pic.twitter.com/v81PfGrVQc

— AntoniFans (@Antoni_Fans) October 6, 2023

Luke Humphries - Mikel Arteta

Humphries and Arteta could form a great double act, come to think of it. Some good names spring to mind: The Nearly Men and Almost Champions are just a few in the selection. Humphries has become the right-hand man to Littler in recent years, drawing a pinpoint comparison to Arteta attempting to escape Pep Guardiola's shadow.

That being said, there are high hopes for both to gain silverware this time around, though Humphries has decided to adopt the bottle-job gene this year, so maybe this comparison is a bit too real. Either way, we are likely to never hear the end of it if either of these two were to claim the title.

Stephen Bunting - Jean-Philippe Mateta

Now this is a duo that knows how to get the people going. I am personally still recovering from going Bunting mental this time last year, and rest assured I will be doing the same this time around. The Titanium Walk-On song is a crowd favorite; David Guetta must be buzzing that he is still getting attention in 2025. On the topic of theme songs, Mateta and Vengaboys is a duo that perhaps no one expected.

The Crystal Palace striker has become a crowd favourite at Selhurst Park, his trademark celebration met with an audible "BOOM" echoed around the stadium. Not only that, but the pair are both purple patch merchants, but that hasn't stopped them from delivering on the big stage when it matters most. The FA Cup and The Masters are pretty much the same accolade if you put enough thought into it.

🇫🇷📈 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 | Jean-Philippe Mateta (28) has now scored 50 goals for Crystal Palace! ✅

The fans shouting 'BOOM' when he kicks the corner flag will never get old. 🥶💥 pic.twitter.com/wy30kF8eOZ

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) September 23, 2025

Michael Smith - Neymar

Last but not least, it's the injury-prone boys. Both have had their glory days in the past, and both are playing through injuries in the present. Neymar has proven that injury is just an obstacle in the path to success, and Smith will be hoping to channel this energy ahead of his opening game on Thursday evening. The former WDC Champion has been a regular in the physio room, most recently managing a recurring ankle injury that has left him walking around in a boot. He faces strong competition from Neymar, who also appears to have a consistent issue, this issue precisely occurring when his sister's birthday comes around. Coincidence? I think not.