Martin Schindler Makes History as First German in a Darts Major Final

Martin Schindler reached the final of the 2026 European Darts Championship in Dortmund, securing an 11:6 victory over Krzysztof Ratajski to become the first German player in history to reach the title match of a major individual PDC tournament.

Martin Schindler Enters the Record Books in Dortmund

Martin Schindler secured his place in German sports history on Sunday evening at the Westfalenhalle, defeating Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski 11:6 to advance to the championship match of the European Darts Championship. Before nearly 7,000 spectators, the 30-year-old from Rodgau broke a long-standing barrier for German darts by reaching his first major PDC final. The milestone eclipses previous deep runs by Max Hopp, who reached the European Championship semifinals in 2018, and Gabriel Clemens, who reached the World Championship semifinals in 2023. It was not only the first semifinal victory for a German player at a major tournament, but it was also Schindler’s first-ever meeting against Ratajski on the big stage, with the Polish player ranked four places higher in the Order of Merit. As the decisive dart landed in the double-5, The Wall threw his arms up and soaked in the celebrations from the crowd in the Dortmund Westfalenhalle, while Martin Schindler, Olé chants echoed through the arena during the match.

How the Semifinal Unfolded Against Krzysztof Ratajski

The semifinal clash began with Ratajski claiming the opening leg before Schindler seized control of the match. The German player checked out 96 for a 2:1 lead, followed by an 11-dart finish to secure a second break and a 4:1 advantage at the first interval. The momentum carried forward from a dominant 10:1 quarterfinal victory over Jonny Clayton earlier in the day. Ratajski briefly threatened by checking out 121 points for a high finish in the second interval, but Schindler quickly responded with a re-break to make it 5:2. Schindler was able to afford a miss on the doubles to check out 6:2 an inning later, before The Wall broke to make it 7:2 shortly after and extended that to 8:2 via double-8 at the interval bell. Ratajski used the break to his advantage and subsequently held his throw once more. Despite a late surge from the Polish competitor who narrowed the deficit to 9:6, Schindler steadied his game to seal the 11:6 victory on double-10 followed by a 12-darter.

Schindler Earns Career-High Prize Money After Outscoring Ratajski

Match statistics highlighted Schindler’s scoring efficiency throughout the encounter. Schindler’s three-dart average was 98.88 points compared to Ratajski’s 93.39 points, alongside a 5:2 advantage in maximum 180s. Schindler converted 11 of his 32 double attempts for a 34.38 percent checkout rate. Beyond the sporting achievement, the final appearance guarantees Schindler a career-high payday. The 30-year-old secured at least £80,000 in prize money, eclipsing his previous earnings of £62,000 for the year and far surpassing his previous tournament-best earnings of £35,000 for reaching the third round of the World Championship.

Path to the Title Decider and the Final Opponent

Schindler’s path to the summit clash tested his resilience across multiple rounds. After opening with a narrow 6:5 win over Wessel Nijman and a 10:4 victory against Jermaine Wattimena, he routed Jonny Clayton 10:1 in the quarterfinals before overcoming Ratajski, who had earlier eliminated world number one Luke Littler 10:6. Waiting in the final is England’s Ross Smith, who defeated Wales’s Gerwyn Price 11:7 in the opening semifinal. Smith previously won the European Championship title in Dortmund in 2022, setting up a high-stakes finale where Schindler aims to claim his first major PDC title and the £150,000 top prize.

Schindler Qualifies for Grand Slam of Darts

As a pleasant side effect alongside Gabriel Clemens and Jan Schmidt, Schindler qualified for the Grand Slam of Darts scheduled for November 14–22 by reaching the final. Tournament victories on the European Tour were previously awarded £30,000.