All you need to know for ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026

The 16th edition of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup will be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15, with the final scheduled for February 6.

Australia are the defending champions having won the 2024 edition with a victory over India in the final and have won the title four times, just behind India who have lifted the trophy on five occasions.

Pakistan are the only other team with multiple titles to their name with successive victories in 2004 and 2006 with West Indies, South Africa, Bangladesh and England to have claimed one triumph each.

We take a look at everything you need to know for the tournament, which promises to be full of action as 16 sides across the world battle it out for the title.

Format

The 16 teams will be divided into four groups with three teams from each group advancing to the Super six stage. The fourth-placed teams in each will move to a placement match, with the fourth-placed teams in Group A and D facing each other while the fourth-placed teams in Group B and C take each other on.

The top three teams from Group A and D will progress to one Super Six group while top three teams from Group B and C will be combined in another Super Six group. The points, wins and net run-rate earned against the other progressing Super Six teams will be carried forward.

The teams will then play two matches in the Super Six stage against opponents from the other group that finished in a different group stage position. For example, the first-placed team in Group A plays only teams that finished second and third in Group D in the Super Six. Similarly, the second-placed team in Group A plays only the teams that finished first and third in Group D.

Venues

The tournament is set to be played across five venues in Zimbabwe and Namibia with the former hosting 25 matches including the semi-final and final, and Namibia hosting 16 games.

All matches in Namibia will be held in Windhoek at the two venues, the Namibia Cricket Ground and High Performance Oval next to each other. In Zimbabwe, the matches will be held in two cities: Harare and Bulawayo. The Queens Sports Club will be the solitary venue in Bulawayo with Harare Sports Club and Takashinga Sports Club being the two venues in the Zimbabwean capital.

The Queens Sports Club and the Harare Sports Club will host the two semi-finals on February 3 and 4 with the Harare Sports Club playing host to the final on February 6.

Fixtures

A total of 24 matches will be played across the group stage with all matches starting at 9:30am local time. The tournament will kick off with the match between India and the United States on January 15 at Bulawayo.

The Queens Sports Club and the Harare Sports Club will host the two semi-finals on February 3 and 4 with the Harare Sports Club playing host to the final on February 6.

A full list of fixtures can be found here.

Warm-up matches

Each team at the U19 World Cup will play two warm-up matches ahead of the tournament, with the practice fixtures getting underway on January 9. Four teams will be in action on the opening day as sides fine-tune their preparations for the marquee event.

The warm-up games will be spread across four cities, Harare, Bulawayo, Windhoek and Masvingo. The warm-up games will conclude on January 14, with two matches scheduled on the eve of the tournament’s official start.

Squads

Each team is required to name a 15-player squad for the U19 World Cup barring any reserves. Any alteration to squads during the tournament can only be done with approval from the ICC Technical Committee.

So far, 13 of the 16 teams have announced their squads, with USA, Afghanistan and Tanzania yet to confirm theirs. The squads boast some exciting talent and also include players who featured in the last edition of the tournament in 2024.

A comprehensive list of all the squads can be found here.

Tickets

Tickets are now live, giving fans the chance to watch the next generation of cricketing stars in action at the U19 World Cup.

The complete list of fixtures with details on how to purchase tickets can be found here.