Who Is Hosting the 2027 Cricket World Cup?

2027 ICC Men Cricket World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. The tournament is scheduled for October and November 2027 and will mark the return of the men’s 50-over World Cup to Africa after 24 years. South Africa and Zimbabwe previously co-hosted the 2003 World Cup, while Namibia will host a senior men’s Cricket World Cup for the first time.

The tournament will be played across 12 venues: eight in South Africa, three in Zimbabwe, and one in Namibia. These include famous grounds such as Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, Newlands in Cape Town, Harare Sports Club, Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, and the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek. The 2027 World Cup will feature 14 teams and 57 matches, using a new three-stage format before the semi-finals and final.

Which Countries Are Hosting the 2027 Cricket World Cup?

The 2027 ICC Men Cricket World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. The tournament is scheduled to take place in October and November 2027, bringing the men’s 50-over World Cup back to Africa after 24 years. South Africa and Zimbabwe previously hosted the World Cup in 2003, while Namibia will host the Men’s Cricket World Cup for the first time.

The matches will be spread across the three countries, with 12 venues in total: eight in South Africa, three in Zimbabwe, and one in Namibia. This makes the 2027 World Cup a major event for African cricket and gives Namibia a chance to host matches on cricket’s biggest stage for the first time.

Why Are Three Countries Co-Hosting This Time?

The main reason for having three co-hosts is to bring the Cricket World Cup back to Africa and make the tournament a wider regional event. South Africa and Zimbabwe have previous experience of hosting the men’s World Cup, while Namibia is getting the opportunity to host matches at this level for the first time. The ICC says the tournament is designed around the idea of “Three Nations, One Heartbeat”, highlighting the shared cricket culture, communities and diversity of the three countries.

Another important reason is to spread the tournament across more cities and cricket communities. The 2027 World Cup will use 12 venues—eight in South Africa, three in Zimbabwe and one in Namibia—and will feature 14 teams. This gives fans in different parts of Southern Africa a chance to experience World Cup cricket while also helping the game grow in the region. The event will be only the third men’s World Cup staged across three host nations, after 1996 and 2003.

When Is the 2027 Cricket World Cup Being Held?

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 is scheduled to be held in October and November 2027 across South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. The ICC has confirmed the October–November window, although the exact match-by-match dates have not yet been announced.

The tournament will bring the men’s 50-over World Cup back to Africa for the first time since 2003. With 14 teams taking part, the 2027 edition will use a new competition format before the semi-finals and final.

What Are the 2027 Cricket World Cup Venues?

The 2027 ICC Men Cricket World Cup will be played across 12 venues in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. South Africa will host the largest share with eight venues, while Zimbabwe will have three and Namibia one. The ICC officially announced the venues in July 2026 as part of the tournament’s preparations.

The venues include some of the most well-known cricket grounds in Southern Africa, along with Namibia’s Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek, which will host Men’s World Cup matches for the first time. The distribution is designed to take World Cup cricket to different cities and regions across the three host countries.

Country	Number of venues
South Africa	8
Zimbabwe	3
Namibia	1
Total	12

Which Stadiums in South Africa Will Host Matches?

South Africa will host the largest share of the 2027 Cricket World Cup, with eight venues selected across the country. These stadiums are spread across major cricket cities, giving fans in different regions the chance to watch World Cup matches. The confirmed venues are Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, Centurion in Tshwane, Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban, St George’s Park in Gqeberha, Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, Boland Park in Paarl, and Buffalo Park in KuGompo City (formerly East London).

Stadium	City
Wanderers Stadium	Johannesburg
Centurion	Tshwane
Newlands Cricket Ground	Cape Town
Kingsmead Cricket Ground	Durban
St George’s Park	Gqeberha
Mangaung Oval	Bloemfontein
Boland Park	Paarl
Buffalo Park	KuGompo City

These venues include some of South Africa’s best-known cricket grounds, such as Wanderers, Newlands and Kingsmead, which have hosted major international matches for many years. Together, the eight venues will form the main South African part of the 2027 tournament, which will return to the region for the first time since the 2003 World Cup.

Which Stadiums in Zimbabwe Will Host Matches?

Zimbabwe will host 2027 Cricket World Cup matches at three stadiums: Harare Sports Club in Harare, Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, and the new Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls. The ICC officially confirmed all three venues when it announced the 12 World Cup venues in July 2026.

The inclusion of Victoria Falls is especially interesting because the Mosi oa Tunya International Cricket Stadium is a new international venue. It will give World Cup visitors the chance to combine cricket with one of Zimbabwe's most famous tourist destinations. Harare and Bulawayo, meanwhile, bring Zimbabwe's two established international cricket grounds into the tournament.

Stadium	City	Key point
Harare Sports Club	Harare	Established international cricket venue
Queens Sports Club	Bulawayo	Historic cricket ground
Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium	Victoria Falls	New venue and first World Cup appearance

Where Will Namibia Host Its Matches?

Namibia will host its 2027 Cricket World Cup matches at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek, the country’s capital. It is the only venue in Namibia included among the 12 stadiums selected for the tournament. The ICC has confirmed that the ground will be part of the 2027 World Cup, which will be Namibia’s first time hosting matches at a senior men’s Cricket World Cup.

The venue has already hosted international cricket and was also used for the 2026 ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup. Its inclusion gives Namibia an important opportunity to showcase cricket on home soil and bring World Cup action to Windhoek.

How Many Teams Are Playing in the 2027 Cricket World Cup?

Upcoming 2027 ICC Men Cricket World Cup will feature 14 teams. This is an increase from the 10 teams that played in the 2023 World Cup, bringing more countries into cricket’s biggest 50-over tournament. The ICC introduced the expanded 14-team format to provide greater global representation and more competitive matches.

The 14 teams will compete through a new three-stage format before the semi-finals and final. The bottom three teams will first play a Super Series, while the other 12 teams will enter two groups of six. The competition will then move to a Super 7 stage, with the top four teams reaching the semi-finals.

How Do Teams Qualify for the 2027 Cricket World Cup?

The 2027 Cricket World Cup will have 14 teams. Under the qualification pathway, South Africa and Zimbabwe receive automatic places as Full Member co-hosts, while eight more teams qualify directly through their position in the ICC ODI rankings. The remaining four places are decided through the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier pathway, giving Associate and other teams a route into the tournament.

In simple terms, teams can reach the World Cup in two main ways: finish high enough in the ODI rankings for direct qualification, or fight through the qualification events. The four teams that come through the final Qualifier will join the 10 direct qualifiers to complete the 14-team World Cup lineup.

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