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ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027: Complete Schedule, Venues, Teams & Format.
ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027: Complete Schedule, Venues, Teams & Format.
The 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will mark the 14th edition of the flagship 50-over international tournament. This event is highly anticipated as it returns to the African continent for the first time since 2003.
Key Tournament Details
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Dates: October 4 – November 21, 2027.
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Hosts: South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
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Format: 50-over One Day International (ODI).
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Total Teams: 14 teams.
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Total Matches: 54 matches.
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Defending Champion: Australia (winners of the 2023 edition).
Hosting and Venues
The tournament will be a collaborative effort between three nations. South Africa is expected to host the majority of the matches.
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South Africa: Projected to host at least 41 of the 54 matches across eight different venues.
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Zimbabwe: Expected to stage 8–10 matches across three venues, including Harare Sports Club, Queens (Bulawayo), and the newly constructed Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium near Victoria Falls.
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Namibia: Scheduled to host three matches.
Tournament Format
The 2027 edition marks a return to a 14-team format, which was previously used before shifting to a 10-team structure for the 2019 and 2023 tournaments.
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Group Stage: The 14 teams will be divided into two groups of seven. Each team will play six matches within their group.
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Super Six: The top three teams from each group will progress to the Super Six stage, where they will face opponents from the other group.
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Knockout Stage: Following the Super Six, the top four teams will advance to the semi-finals, followed by the grand final to determine the champion.
Qualification Pathway
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Automatic Qualifiers: As Full Member hosts, South Africa and Zimbabwe receive automatic entry into the tournament.
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Ranking-based Qualification: Eight additional teams will qualify based on their standings in the ICC ODI Team Rankings as of March 31, 2027.
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Final Spots: The remaining four spots will be filled through the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament.
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Note on Namibia: Despite being a co-host, Namibia does not receive an automatic qualification spot and must progress through the standard ICC qualification pathway.
Context and Significance
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Return to Africa: This is the first senior men’s World Cup on African soil since 2003.
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Future Tours Programme (FTP): The 2027 World Cup will serve as the opening marquee event for the 2027–2031 ICC Future Tours Programme.
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Official Confirmation: While dates were discussed and broadly approved at the ICC Board meeting in Ahmedabad in May 2026, formal ratification is expected to take place at the ICC Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh in July 2026.
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