Raymond van Barneveld: Has ‘Father Time’ caught up with five-time world champion as question marks over future arise

Raymond van Barneveld: Has ‘Father Time’ caught up with five-time world champion as question marks over future arise | Darts News

December 18, 2025:

Raymond van Barneveld has admitted he will ask himself “what’s next?” after he lost his first match at the World Darts Championship for a second year running.

Van Barneveld was thrashed 3-0 by Switzerland’s Stefan Bellmont on Wednesday, winning just two legs, and is set to drop significantly down from his current ranking of 35th following the tournament.

The 58-year-old has already retired once from darts at the start of 2020 but returned after a year out and got back into the top 32. However, he has struggled to perform on the big stage which irks the five-time world champion.

“It’s been a really bad year. Ultimately, you have to pull yourself together. It’s very difficult to answer this,” he told Dutch TV channel Viaplay.

“On the throw-in [practice] board, I’ve been world champion five times, maybe even 10 times. But somehow, it doesn’t show in the matches. Why not? I can’t answer that.”

Van Barneveld has won two Players Championship events since his comeback in 2021 but, aside from a semi-final appearance at the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts, has rarely shown his best form at the major televised events.

He added: “Of course this hurts. The second year in a row I’ve lost my first match. You have to ask yourself: what’s next?

“You don’t want to suffer like this every week. If you can only win two [legs] against someone who doesn’t have a tour card, that speaks volumes. Homework to do.”

Durrant: Father Time catching up with Van Barneveld

Van Barneveld, who has been a professional darts player since 1984, has not reached the quarter-finals at the World Championship since 2018.

Former Premier League Darts champion and Sky Sports Darts‘ Glen Durrant says “it’s difficult to have such longevity” but expects Van Barneveld to carry in playing in 2026.

“It’s not easy to walk away. Barney could be practicing great. I’ve seen him at exhibitions when he looked really happy and he was marvellous,” said Durrant.

“You always have that hope and expectation. Father Time catches up with you. Your eyesight goes, sometimes you feel aches and pains.

“He will have questions to ask himself. He will have the answers. He retired once and came back, won tournaments, so he has a big decision to make.

“I can’t see him walking away because darts has never been in such a good place.”

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