The Cricket World Cup 2027 returns to Africa on 2 October 2027. Fourteen teams will play 57 matches across 12 venues in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, in a tournament with a format the World Cup has never used before. It is the first men’s World Cup on African soil since 2003, and the first time Namibia has hosted matches at the senior tournament.
When and where
The tournament runs from 2 October to 21 November 2027. South Africa stages 41 of the 57 matches, Zimbabwe 10 and Namibia 6, counted from the ICC’s published fixture list. The final is at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on 21 November, with the semi-finals in Cape Town on 17 November and Tshwane on 18 November.
The ICC confirmed the 12 venues in July 2026. South Africa’s eight are the Wanderers (Johannesburg), Centurion (Tshwane), Newlands (Cape Town), Kingsmead (Durban), St George’s Park (Gqeberha), Mangaung Oval (Bloemfontein), Boland Park (Paarl) and Buffalo Park (KuGompo City). Zimbabwe’s three are Harare Sports Club, Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, and the new Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium at Victoria Falls. Namibia’s one venue is the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
The tournament runs under the banner “Three Nations, One Heartbeat”, with a brand built on the African philosophy of Ubuntu — “I am, because we are”.
How the new format works
Forget the 2023 format. The ICC unveiled the full schedule on 1 October 2026, and the tournament has three stages before the semi-finals.
Super Series, 2–6 October, Windhoek: the three lowest-ranked of the 14 qualified teams play a round robin. Only the winner goes on to the main draw.
Group stage, 7–24 October: 12 teams in two groups of six, each team playing the other five once — 30 matches. The top three in each group, plus the best fourth-placed team, reach the Super 7.
Super 7, 25 October–14 November: the seven survivors play each other once — 21 matches. The top four reach the semi-finals. Points do not carry over between stages, so every team starts the Super 7 from zero.
Group A is India, Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A. Group B is New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Qualifier B. The semi-finals pair first against fourth and second against third.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 30 July 2026 | ICC unveils the 12 venues and the tournament brand |
| 1 October 2026 | Full fixtures announced; ticket ballot opens |
| 21 November 2026 | Ticket ballot closes |
| 2027 | Cricket World Cup Qualifier decides the final four teams |
| 2 October 2027 | Super Series begins in Windhoek |
| 7 October 2027 | Group stage begins: India v Australia at Newlands, Cape Town |
| 25 October 2027 | Super 7 begins |
| 17–18 November 2027 | Semi-finals, Cape Town and Tshwane |
| 21 November 2027 | Final, Wanderers, Johannesburg |
Who plays — and who still has to qualify
Ten teams have already qualified directly, as of the ICC’s cut-off date of 30 September 2026: the hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, plus India, Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, England and Bangladesh. The last four places come from the Cricket World Cup Qualifier in 2027. Its winner goes straight into the group stage; the teams finishing second, third and fourth play the Super Series in Windhoek for the last group place.
Namibia, the third co-host, did not qualify automatically. As an Associate member it must come through the qualifier — but it will not be a pushover at home: Namibia beat Ireland 3–2 in a home ODI series, winning the decider in Windhoek. Australia are the defending champions, having beaten India in the 2023 final.
Tickets
The ticket ballot is free to enter, with one entry per person per match, and it is not first-come, first-served — late entries have the same chance as early ones. It closes at 23:59 SAST on 21 November 2026, and ticket prices run from about US$9.50 to about US$30. Demand is already enormous: more than 120 million ticket requests have been made. Enter the official ticket ballot before it closes.
What to watch
The Super Series. Three teams arrive in Windhoek knowing only one of them plays another match. It is a new way to open a World Cup, and the team that survives it arrives in the group stage battle-hardened.
Zimbabwe at home. The co-hosts return to the World Cup after a 12-year absence, and their group ends with the biggest fixture of their tournament — India at Victoria Falls on 24 October, the new stadium’s first World Cup match.
Whether Namibia qualifies. A home World Cup with the hosts still fighting for a place would be a story in itself, and they have already shown they can beat Full Members at home.
India v Pakistan — twice? They meet in the group stage on 10 October at the Wanderers. If both reach the Super 7, the ICC’s full fixture list puts them together again on 7 November in Cape Town.
The format itself. With 21 Super 7 matches and no points carried over, a slow start is survivable and a hot streak means nothing until the last round. The teams that manage seven games in three weeks, across three countries, will decide this World Cup.
The last four teams are decided by the Qualifier in 2027. Until then, the ballot is the only way in — it closes on 21 November 2026.
