In November 2018, Van Barneveld announced his intention to retire from darts after the 2020 PDC World Darts Championship. On 28 March 2019, following a 7–1 defeat to Michael van Gerwen in his final Premier League match, he announced his retirement with immediate effect, but reversed his decision the following day. He retired again following his first round exit from the 2020 PDC World Darts Championship, In February 2021 14 months after retiring he regained his professional tour card after qualifying at the PDC's Q-School.