Cristo Reyes, after a period out of the spotlight, has made a sensational return to the world of darts. Not only did he recently secure his PDC Tour Card, but he has now achieved the remarkable feat of qualifying for both of the first two major PDC European Tour events of 2026: the inaugural Poland Darts Open (ET1) and the European Darts Trophy (ET2). His dominant performance, including a stunning victory over former World Champion Rob Cross and a near-perfect qualification run, strongly suggests a significant resurgence for the former Top 32 player and could reignite Spanish darts.
A Dazzling Double for Cristo Reyes
The qualification events for the 2026 PDC European Tour saw over 90 PDC Tour Card Holders gather in Germany, all vying for one of just ten coveted spots in each of the year’s initial European Tour events. These included the Poland Darts Open (ET1) in Krakow from February 20-22, and the European Darts Trophy (ET2) in Göttingen, Germany, from March 13-15.
Amidst fierce competition, **Cristo Reyes emerged as the only player to successfully qualify for both prestigious events.** His journey was nothing short of extraordinary, winning all six of his matches at Halle 39. His day began with a potential setback when Rob Cross threw a perfect 9-dart leg in their very first encounter. However, Reyes responded with incredible composure, averaging almost 107 to secure a sensational 6-4 victory.
Reyes continued his impressive form, clinching further 6-4 wins against both Tom Sykes and Richard Veenstra, which guaranteed his ticket to Krakow for ET1. He then repeated this dominant performance to qualify for ET2, dropping only two legs along the way. This included a solid 6-2 win over Alan Soutar, followed by emphatic whitewash victories (6-0) against both Viktor Tingstrom and Maik Kuivenhoven, completing a truly remarkable clean sweep.
Reyes’ Road to Redemption
This double qualification marks a significant milestone in Reyes’ recent comeback. He previously crashed back into the darting spotlight by qualifying for the 2025/26 PDC World Darts Championship, and then successfully regained his two-year PDC Tour Card at Q-School in January. Earlier in the week, Reyes showed glimpses of his former brilliance, being eliminated from PDC Players Championship events despite averaging over 100. This indicated that the talent of the former Top 32 player was still very much present, just waiting for the right moment to shine.
Now, with the opportunity to make a substantial impression on multiple PDC European Tour stages, **2026 is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting year for Reyes.** His success could potentially spearhead a much-anticipated resurgence for Spanish darts on the international stage.
Other Standout Qualifiers: ET1 and ET2
Reyes won’t be alone on the European Tour circuit. Here’s a look at some of the other players who battled through the qualifiers:
Poland Darts Open (ET1) Qualifiers:
- Ritchie Edhouse: A former PDC European Champion, Edhouse secured his spot by defeating Stephen Burton, Stefan Bellmont, and Niall Culleton.
- Connor Scutt: Earned his place after a thrilling 6-5 victory over Charlie Manby in a final-round decider.
- Adam Gawlas: Arguably the biggest surprise of the early 2026 season, Gawlas reached the semi-final of Players Championship 1 and eliminated former World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker. He continued his “Flawlas” renaissance in the ET qualifiers, notably defeating Nick Kenny, Darius Labanauskas, and even former World Champion Peter Wright.
- Mickey Mansell: Qualified after a controversial victory over Michael Smith.
- Jeffrey de Graaf: The Swedish number one also advanced.
- Thomas Lovely: Played spoiler against home favourite Sebastian Bialecki, overturning a 5-2 deficit in the final round of qualification.
- Darryl Pilgrim: Successfully qualified.
- Marvin Kraft and Carl Sneyd: Both will make their PDC European Tour debuts, each needing last-leg deciders in their final-round matches to oust Ricky Evans and Callan Rydz, respectively.
European Darts Trophy (ET2) Qualifiers:
- Sebastian Bialecki: Responded superbly to his earlier heartbreak in the ET1 qualifier, storming through the ET2 Qualifier with a stunning hat-trick of 6-1 victories, defeating Pero Ljubic, Madars Razma, and Arno Merk.
- The Dutch Trio: Richard Veenstra, Kevin Doets, and Jeffrey de Zwaan all secured their places. De Zwaan ran a particularly impressive gauntlet, overcoming darts legends Raymond van Barneveld, Beau Greaves, and Mensur Suljovic.
- Mario Vandenbogaerde and Kai Gotthardt: Both displayed excellent composure, producing 100+ averages in their final qualification rounds to deny Keane Barry and Cam Crabtree.
- Ricky Evans: Went one better than his ET1 qualification attempt, securing his place in ET2.
- Darius Labanauskas: The Lithuanian also qualified.
- Shane McGuirk: The former WDF World Champion will make his long-awaited PDC European Tour debut after fending off a brave fightback from Wesley Plaisier in the final round.
Shocks and Setbacks: The Changing of the Guard
While some celebrated, others faced disappointment, highlighting the continuous evolution and changing of the guard within the PDC rankings:
- Raymond van Barneveld: Failed to qualify for either event, a rare occurrence for the darts legend.
- Michael Smith: Withdrew from ET2 contention after a frustrating end to his ET1 qualification attempt.
- Peter Wright: In a truly significant moment, Peter “Snakebite” Wright, who holds the record for PDC European Tour appearances (128) and has never had to qualify before due to his high ranking, entered his first-ever qualifier and **failed to secure a spot for a European Tour event for the first time in his illustrious career.**
- Tour Card Risks: Players like Dimitri van den Bergh, Kim Huybrechts, Ian White, and Brendan Dolan could find their PDC Tour Cards at risk by the end of 2026. Their failure to qualify for these events is a clear symptom of the intense challenge faced by players trying to maintain their elite status.
- Rob Cross: Despite throwing a perfect 9-dart leg, Cross missed out on ET1 qualification. However, due to a quirk in the Pro Tour qualifying calculations, he gained automatic qualification for ET2 and will be seeded in the opening round.
- Beau Greaves: After a dominant weekend where she rampaged to four PDC Women’s Series titles, the talented 22-year-old competed in back-to-back Players Championship events and then these two qualifiers. The packed schedule appeared to be a step too far, as she could only manage a single victory across both European Tour qualifiers.
Understanding the PDC European Tour Structure
The 2026 PDC European Tour will feature 14 events. Here’s how the structure generally works:
- The world’s Top 16 players automatically receive a bye to the second round.
- The next 16 top-ranked players from the PDC Pro Tour are seeded for the opening round.
- These seeded players will then face off against a diverse group of qualifiers in the first round of each event. This group includes 10 PDC Tour Card Holders (like those who qualified here), a Nordic & Baltic Qualifier, an Eastern Europe qualifier, and four local qualifiers.
The action kicks off with the inaugural Poland Darts Open from February 20-22. Stay tuned for what promises to be an exhilarating year of darts!
Source: Based on an article from Darts Planet TV.
