The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a new format for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Expanding from 10 to 14 teams, the tournament will adopt a three-stage structure aimed at increasing competitive play and providing more opportunities for the participating nations.
The first round, referred to as the Super Series, will involve the three lowest-ranked qualified teams competing in a round-robin format. The team finishing at the top of this series will advance to the subsequent stage.
Round two will feature 12 teams divided into two groups of six, engaging in a total of 30 matches. Each group will play in a round-robin format, with the top three teams from each group, plus the next best-placed team across both groups, moving forward to the Super 7 stage.
The third round, called the Super 7, will consist of 21 matches among the qualified teams in another round-robin setup. The four highest-ranked teams from this stage will secure spots in the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, the first-place team from the Super 7 stage will face the fourth-placed side, while the second and third-placed teams will compete against each other. The winners of these matches will then proceed to the final, where the tournament champion will be decided.
The new format is designed to extend the number of matches and engagement throughout the event while giving emerging cricket nations more opportunities to compete on the global stage. The ICC highlighted that the changes aim to enhance the overall fan experience and increase the tournament’s competitiveness as it expands to include more teams.