Only 10 teams will earn direct entry to the 14-team tournament, with the final automatic places decided by the ODI rankings on September 30
The 2027 ODI World Cup will look different from the previous edition, with the tournament expanding to 14 teams and returning to Africa for the first time since 2003. South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will co-host the competition, which will feature 57 matches across 12 venues.
But despite three hosts, only 10 teams will enter the World Cup directly. South Africa and Zimbabwe have secured automatic places as Full Member co-hosts. Namibia, despite hosting matches, does not receive an automatic berth because it is an Associate Member.
The remaining eight direct places will be determined by the ICC ODI rankings on September 30, 2026. India currently sit at No. 1, followed by New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in the top eight. Bangladesh are ninth, while West Indies are 10th and Ireland 12th.
That means the qualification race has already produced a major consequence: West Indies and Ireland cannot secure direct qualification through the rankings. The ICC has confirmed that the West Indies’ automatic-qualification cycle ends after the second ODI against India.
Both sides will instead enter the World Cup Qualifier in early 2027, alongside other teams that miss the direct qualification cut. Four teams from that tournament will make the 14-team World Cup.
What will the 2027 World Cup look like?
The ICC has also overhauled the tournament format.
The competition will begin with a Super Series involving the three lowest-ranked qualified teams. They will play each other once, with only the winner advancing to the next stage.
That team will join the other 11 sides in a 12-team second round, split into two groups of six. The top three from each group, plus the next-best team across both groups, will progress to the Super 7.
The seven teams will then play a single round-robin league. The top four will advance to the semi-finals, followed by the final.
The official World Cup schedule is set to be announced on October 1 in Cape Town, with the tournament itself scheduled across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November 2027.
