When does the 2027 Cricket World Cup start? Key details ahead of tournament
A 14-team tournament, the Cricket World Cup 2027 in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe will showcase the best in the game in the longer white-ball format.
Dates are set for the 14th edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Featuring 14 of the world’s best teams, all the details you need to know ahead of the competition next year.
When does the tournament start?
The first ball of the tournament will be bowled on October 2nd, with the Final slated for 21 November.
After the Super Series determines the final group stage team, which concludes on 6 October, India will face Australia in Group A action on 7 October.
Zimbabwe’s meeting with India, the first-ever World Cup match at Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium by Victoria Falls, concludes Group Stage action.
More on the fixture schedule announced for ICC CWC 2027
The top three teams and the better fourth-placed finisher across the two groups move to the Super 7 stage, with the top four teams for the semi-finals determined by 14 November.
Semi-finals are scheduled for 17 November and 18 November.
Countdown for ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 is on
The countdown for ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 begins.
How did teams qualify?
Of the 14 teams at the tournament, South Africa and Zimbabwe qualified directly as hosts, with the best eight teams on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings at the 30 September 2026 cut-off.
The remaining four spots will be decided at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The top-placed finisher goes directly to the Group Stage, while the other three teams compete for a Group Stage spot in the Super Series.
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How does the new format work?
The 14-team tournament takes a new look for the 2027 edition, with three different phases ahead of the semi-finals.
First, the Super Series featuring three teams provides the first action at the tournament. The second, third and fourth-placed teams from the Cricket World Cup Qualifier will play each other once in the Super Series, with the top-placed team taking the last group stage spot.
The winner of the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, the Super Series and the 10 automatic qualifiers teams for the competition are split into two groups of six, with teams playing the other five teams in their group once.
The top three teams move on to the Super 7 phase, as well as the better fourth-place finisher across the two groups.
Points do not carry over from the group stage to the Super 7 phase, and all teams will play each other in this phase. The top four will qualify for the semi-finals, with the top-placed finisher from the Super 7 facing the fourth-placed finisher, and second taking on third.
Winners of the semi-finals go on to the final in Johannesburg, scheduled for 21 November. The semi-finals and the final have assigned reserved days if needed.
How can I grab tickets?
Adding to the excitement ahead of the tournament, the ICC has opened the ticket ballot, giving fans around the world the chance to register for an opportunity to secure their place at the event.
Fans are encouraged to enter the ballot and take their first step towards being part of the action, with ticket prices ranging from USD $9.62 (R158) for entry-level tickets to USD $31.31 (R514) for the highest-tier matches.
Special consideration has also been given to family bundles, student and pensioner pricing, early-bird local allocations, and community club and school group pricing.
More information on the Cricket World Cup 2027 ticket ballot
Will seeding be used to help fans and teams?
Yes. To provide clarity for fans, teams and stakeholders, a number of teams have been pre-seeded into designated Super 7 positions. This allows fans to better understand potential venue allocations and fixture pathways in advance, helping them plan travel, attendance and ticket purchases with greater confidence. The pre-seeded allocations are listed below:
A1: India
A2: Australia
A3: Pakistan
AB4: England
B1: New Zealand
B2: South Africa
B3: Sri Lanka
So for example, the Super 7 stage begins on Monday, 25 October 2027 with A2 taking B3 in Johannesburg. This match will be Australia against Sri Lanka if both Australia and Sri Lanka qualify for the Super 7 stage.
Should a non-seeded team finish in a qualifying position and a pre-seeded team do not, that team will assume the Super 7 position allocated to the pre-seeded team it has displaced.
In the same example, if Bangladesh qualify for the Super 7 stage and Sri Lanka do not, Bangladesh would take the B3 spot, and play Australia on 25 October.
This seeding is done to ensure the integrity of the qualification process is maintained while preserving fixture certainty for fans.
There are no points carried over from the Group Stage, meaning that each team will play six more matches from 25 October to 14 November.
Where will it be played?
A total of 12 venues will play host to the tournament.
The Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek plays host to the three Super Series matches and three group games, with three venues in Zimbabwe and eight in South Africa.
The new Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium in Victoria Falls joins the Harare Sports Club and the Queen’s Sports Club in Bulawayo, while in South Africa, matches will be held in Cape Town, Paarl, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Bloemfontein, Durban, KuGompo City and Gqeberha.