![West Indies to play WC Qualifier [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1794752617713_WorldCuptrophy.jpg?type=hq)
West Indies to play WC Qualifier [Source: AFP]
The race for the remaining places at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 is set to enter a crucial phase early next year. With the tournament expanding to 14 teams, several associate and full-member nations will get an opportunity to compete for a place on cricket's biggest ODI stage.
The International Cricket Council has now outlined the qualification pathway, confirming the structure of the upcoming Qualifier and the route teams must follow to reach the tournament.
ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 Qualifier: Teams and Format
The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 Qualifier will feature 10 teams competing for the final four places at the global tournament. The competition is scheduled to take place in February-March 2027, with the participating sides divided into two groups of five.
Each team will face the other four sides in its group during the round-robin stage. The competition will then move into the knockout phase, featuring a semi-final and a final. A total of 23 matches will be played during the Qualifier.
Six teams have already secured their places in the tournament. They are West Indies, Ireland, Netherlands, Oman, Scotland and the United States of America. West Indies, who have won the ODI World Cup twice, will be among the most experienced sides in the competition.
The remaining four positions will be decided through the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff, scheduled to take place in Nepal from December 4 to 21, 2026. Nepal, Italy, Namibia, Uganda, Kuwait, Canada, Jersey and the United Arab Emirates will compete in the eight-team event for those spots.
The Qualifier will determine how the final four teams progress towards the 2027 World Cup. Its winner will earn direct entry into the World Cup group stage. The three other successful teams will compete in a Super Series, where they will battle for the remaining group-stage position.
ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027: Teams Already Qualified And Tournament Format
The 2027 edition of the Men's Cricket World Cup will feature 14 teams and will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. South Africa and Zimbabwe have secured automatic qualification as Full Member hosts.
Eight other teams booked their places through the ICC Men's ODI Rankings at the September 30, 2026 cut-off. Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka qualified through this route.
This leaves four places to be filled through the Qualifier and the preceding Qualifier Playoff. The expanded format will give more teams an opportunity to reach the World Cup while creating a competitive qualification pathway for associate nations.
With the Qualifier Playoff scheduled for December, the first stage of the qualification race will begin in Nepal. The four teams that emerge from that competition will join the six confirmed sides in the February-March Qualifier, where the final World Cup places will be decided.
