No more 10-team format: ICC unveils new roadmap for 2027 World Cup
The ICC has announced a new three-stage format for the 2027 Men's Cricket World Cup. The expanded 14-team structure is designed to add more competitive matches before the knockouts.
- Jul 15, 2026,
- Updated Jul 15, 2026, 9:07 PM IST
- South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will jointly host the 2027 tournament
- A new Super Series will involve the three lowest-ranked qualified teams
- Only the Super Series table-topper will move into the next stage
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on July 15 announced a revamped format for the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, introducing a three-stage competition as the tournament expands from 10 to 14 teams.
Co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, the 2027 edition will feature a new structure aimed at increasing the number of competitive matches while providing more opportunities for participating teams before the knockout stage.
The tournament will begin with a Super Series, involving the three lowest-ranked qualified teams. They will compete in a round-robin format, with the table-toppers advancing to the next phase.
The second stage will feature 12 teams divided into two groups of six. Each group will play a round-robin league comprising 30 matches. The top three teams from each group, along with the best fourth-placed side across the two groups, will qualify for the Super 7 stage.
The Super 7 phase will consist of 21 round-robin matches. The top four teams at the end of this stage will progress to the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, the team finishing first in the Super 7 standings will face the fourth-placed side, while the second-placed team will take on the third-placed team. The winners of those matches will meet in the final to decide the 2027 world champions.
