Phil Taylor’s shock return to competitive darts has already created plenty of excitement, but Max Hopp believes the comeback could be about far more than one tournament.
The 16-time world champion is set to return to the oche alongside Adrian Lewis at the MODUS Super Series International Pairs Tournament in Portsmouth from November 23-28. For many fans, simply seeing Taylor competing again at 66 would be enough. But Hopp has raised the possibility of something much bigger.
According to the German former professional, Taylor could eventually set his sights on a huge showdown with Luke Littler — a matchup that would put the greatest name from darts’ past against one of the biggest stars of the modern game.
Hopp sees a bigger plan behind Taylor’s return
Hopp’s theory is certainly intriguing.
Taylor has officially stepped back from regular competitive darts, but his return alongside Lewis has suddenly reopened the door to questions about what might happen next.
Speaking to SPORT1, Hopp suggested that Taylor could first revive his famous rivalry with Raymond van Barneveld before potentially targeting Littler.
“I think once he’s loosened up against Barney, he’ll challenge Luke Littler for a big match. That could be billed as ‘the GOAT versus the Nuke’.”
That is not an announced plan from Taylor, and it is important to make that distinction. Hopp is offering his own theory about where the comeback could go, rather than revealing a confirmed future event.
Still, it is difficult not to get excited by the idea.
The Barney connection makes sense
There is actually a logical reason why Van Barneveld could become part of the story.
Next year marks 20 years since Taylor and Van Barneveld produced one of the most memorable World Championship finals in darts history. Barney eventually won that dramatic 2007 final 7-6, beating Taylor in a contest that remains part of the sport’s folklore.
With Van Barneveld also indicating that his own career is moving toward its later stages, Hopp believes there could be an opportunity for the two legends to meet again.
“I can well imagine that the two of them have planned one or two Taylor vs. Barney showdowns,” Hopp said.
Whether that actually happens remains unknown. But the timing is certainly interesting.
A Taylor-Barney reunion would be built around history and nostalgia. A Taylor-Littler clash would be something completely different.
That would be generations of darts colliding on the same stage.
Taylor is not returning just for nostalgia
One of the most interesting parts of this story is that Taylor does not appear to be treating his return as a simple exhibition appearance.
The legendary player has been practising regularly, with reports indicating that he has been spending around an hour a day on the darts board. He has also been working on his fitness and diet as he attempts to sharpen his game.
Hopp believes that tells us something.
“I think he’s still capable of a lot. Taylor has always been a workhorse.”
That reputation is important. Taylor built his extraordinary career through relentless preparation and an obsessive approach to improving his game.
Of course, nobody should assume that the Taylor of 2026 can simply reproduce the performances that made him dominant for so many years. Time away from elite competition changes everything.
But there is a difference between expecting Taylor to dominate professional darts again and believing he can still produce something special on the right stage.
Why Luke Littler makes this even more fascinating
The timing of Taylor’s return is particularly interesting because of Littler’s extraordinary rise.
The 19-year-old has already established himself as one of the leading figures of the current generation, winning the World Championship twice and claiming major titles during an astonishing rise through the sport.
In 2026, Littler retained the World Matchplay title and produced a tournament average of 111.04, breaking Taylor’s previous record tournament average of 106.31 from 2010.
Littler also won his second Premier League title in May, defeating Luke Humphries 11-10 in a dramatic final at the O2 Arena.
So when Hopp talks about Taylor eventually challenging Littler, he is not talking about an ordinary exhibition match.
He is imagining a meeting between two players who represent completely different eras of darts.
Taylor spent years defining what greatness looked like. Littler is now attempting to establish his own place in that history.
Taylor has already mentioned Littler
There is another reason the potential matchup does not feel completely random.
Taylor has already been discussing Littler publicly. In September, he appeared on Sky Sports while involved with the new Netflix darts project “Beat Luke Littler,” and he argued that even an amateur could beat the world No. 1 over a single leg.
Taylor has also recently offered Littler advice as the teenager deals with the pressure and hostility that increasingly comes with being the sport’s biggest star.
That makes the prospect of them actually sharing a stage even more compelling.
There is already a connection between them. What is missing is the competitive meeting.
The comeback starts with Adrian Lewis
Before anyone starts planning Taylor versus Littler, though, Taylor has a much more immediate job.
He will reunite with Adrian Lewis, his former England teammate, in Portsmouth.
Taylor and Lewis previously won the World Cup of Darts four times together between 2012 and 2016, so this comeback has a genuine sporting connection rather than being built purely around nostalgia.
Lewis has also returned to competitive action after stepping away from the PDC circuit, making the partnership one of the most fascinating elements of the tournament.
The big question will be how Taylor actually looks when the darts start flying.
Could “The GOAT vs The Nuke” really happen?
That is the part fans will be watching.
Taylor is not currently announcing a return to the full PDC circuit, and Hopp’s proposed Littler clash remains speculation. The first confirmed step is the November tournament with Lewis.
But Taylor’s return has already changed the conversation.
If he performs well, there will inevitably be more questions. If he struggles, the comeback may simply become a memorable final chapter.
And if Hopp’s theory somehow becomes reality, darts could get one of its most extraordinary crossover matches ever: Phil Taylor against Luke Littler.
For now, that remains an exciting possibility rather than a confirmed plan. But with Taylor back on the practice board and Littler continuing to dominate the modern game, fans have every reason to watch this story closely.
Because if Taylor really does have one more big night in him, the darts world may not have seen the last chapter of The Power just yet.