The 2006 Embassy World Professional Darts Championship was held from 7–15 January 2006 at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey. Defending champion Raymond van Barneveld was aiming to win a fifth BDO world title, equalling the record set by Eric Bristow. However, he was beaten 7-5 in the final by Dutch qualifier Jelle Klaasen. Klaasen became the youngest World Champion at aged 21 and became the first qualifier to win the World Championship since Keith Deller in 1983, who became the youngest World Champion himself, aged 23. This would eventually be Barneveld's last ever appearance at the Lakeside as he would switch to the rival Professional Darts Corporation the next month.
The final had the biggest ever TV audience for a darts match in history with almost one in every three people living in Holland watching this. Jelle Klaasen beat Dennis Harbour, Mervyn King, Paul Hogan and Shaun Greatbatch on his way to the final. Van Barneveld beat Darryl Fitton, Gary Anderson, Tony O’Shea and Martin Adams en route to that stage. Barney was the clear favourite to win the tournament for a record tying fifth time but it wasn’t to be. Klaasen played the tournament of his life and lifted the crown making him the second Dutch World Champion in history
The 2006 championship was the last to be staged under the eight seeds format. For the 2007 event the number of seeded players for the Men's championship was increased to 16. 2006 would also see a new format for the tournament with second round matches extended to the best of seven sets, as had been requested by numerous players down the years. The Semi-finals were also extended to best of 11 sets and the final a best of 13 set affair.
Since Leighton Rees took the title in 1978 the number three seed had never won the tournament until this year. In 2006 the number three-ranked player was, Raymond van Barneveld.