The International Cricket Council has unveiled the schedule for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, the 14th edition of the tournament, which will be hosted jointly by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
In total, 14 teams will participate in the tournament (an increase from 10 in 2023), with 57 matches being held across 12 venues in the three host countries from October 2 through November 21, 2027. It marks the World Cup’s return to Africa for the first time since 2003 (when South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya hosted), as well as Namibia’s debut as a host nation for the senior tournament.
On the opening weekend, there will be a repeat of the 2023 final between reigning champion Australia and beaten finalist India on October 7 in Cape Town. Other matches of note: Afghanistan will face Pakistan in Centurion, South Africa; England will play Bangladesh in Windhoek, Namibia; co-host Zimbabwe will end its 12-year absence from the competition by hosting a still-to-be-confirmed qualifier in Bulawayo; and South Africa will begin its campaign against New Zealand in Cape Town.
The tournament will conclude on November 21, with the final due to be staged in Johannesburg.
“The announcement of the schedule and opening of the ticket ballot are major milestones on the road to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, bringing fans one step closer to a spectacular celebration of cricket across the three nations,” said ICC Chairman Jay Shah. “The ICC remains committed to making its World Cup events accessible to as many fans as possible, with affordable ticket prices and options that bring families, young people and local communities closer to the action.
“South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will provide an unforgettable stage for the world’s best teams, combining a deep passion for cricket, extraordinary destinations and a renowned warmth of welcome. We look forward to welcoming fans from across the world and creating memories that will last long beyond the final.”
Qualified Teams
So far, 10 teams have secured direct qualification for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. Those 10 direct qualifiers automatically advance to the second round, or group stage, of the competition.
South Africa and Zimbabwe qualified automatically as co-hosts, as well as the top eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings as of September 30, 2026. Namibia, however, did not qualify automatically, even as a co-host, because it is not a full ICC member nor a top eight-ranked team in the world.
Four more teams will qualify via the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2027. The winner of the Qualifier will secure another direct berth into the group stage, but the runner-up and third- and fourth-placed teams in the Qualifier will qualify for Round One of the World Cup, known as the Super Series.
It has now been confirmed that Afghanistan, Australia, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A will make up Group A, while Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Qualifier B will compete in Group B.
Venues and Format
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be staged across eight venues in South Africa, three in Zimbabwe, and one in Namibia:
- South Africa (Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein, Paarl, KuGompo City)
- Zimbabwe (Harare, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls)
- Namibia (Windhoek)
In July, a new format for the 2027 edition was confirmed, which is designed to increase the competitiveness of matches and to reduce the overall duration of the competition.
The tournament will consist of three rounds before the semifinals and final, kicking off with a Super Series hosted in Namibia that will feature the three lowest-ranked of the 14 qualified teams. The teams will compete in a round-robin format, and the team that finishes top of the standings will progress to the group stage.
Following this, 12 teams (including 10 direct qualifiers, the Super Series winner, and a direct entrant for a preceding World Cup qualifier tournament) will be divided into two groups of six for the group stage. Each group will adopt a round-robin format with each team facing the other teams once, and the top three teams will advance to the Super Sevens, as well as the highest-ranked, fourth-placed team across both groups.
After the group stage, the Super Sevens tournament will determine the semifinalists. This will also be played with a round-robin format, as each of the seven qualifying teams will face each other once.
Cape Town (November 17) and Tshwane (November 18) will host the semifinals, and the final will be played in Johannesburg on November 21.
Ticket Ballot
The ICC has opened the ticket ballot for the World Cup, giving fans around the world the chance to register for an opportunity to secure their place at the event.
Entry into the ticket ballot is free before the deadline on November 21, 2026, at 23:59 SAST. Fans can submit one ballot entry per person, per match across the tournament.
Ticket prices range from approximately USD $9.50 (R158) for entry-level tickets to approximately USD $30 (R514) for the highest-tier matches.
Successful and unsuccessful ballot applications will receive communications via email.
Global Growth of Cricket
England has hosted the most ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups in its history (five), while India will host its fifth edition in 2031, alongside Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Namibia will become the first debut host nation of the competition since the West Indies in 2007.
The ICC is known to be exploring new competitions and formats to grow the sport globally and increase its revenues, however, its plans to further expand the calendar are facing resistance from the so-called Big Three of cricket (Australia, England and India).
It had been suggested that the ICC would introduce a World Club Championship (for domestic teams) or more international multilateral tournaments, but those proposals have now been pushed back to 2031 at the earliest due to the disagreements with the Big Three.
The United States hosted its first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024, when Grand Prairie, Texas, Broward County, Florida, and Nassau County, New York, were chosen as host venues. While the T20 World Cup is played every two years and adopts a shorter, quicker format of 20 overs per side, the ICC Cricket World Cup is contested every four years, with one-day internationals played with a 50-over format.
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