The 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup will take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia from October 4 to November 21, marking its first return to Africa since 2003. The ICC Board approved the schedule in May during a meeting in Ahmedabad, with final details to be confirmed at the ICC Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh in July.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, South Africa is expected to host most of the matches, with at least 41 out of 54 games taking place at eight different venues. Zimbabwe will likely host eight to ten matches at Harare Sports Club, Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, and the new Victoria Falls venue. Namibia is set to hold three matches.
A significant addition is the Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls, which is slated for completion later this year. This venue will hold domestic matches before its official opening in May 2027 and is anticipated to be part of the World Cup venues.
The 2027 tournament will feature 14 teams, returning to the format used prior to the last two World Cups. Teams will be divided into two groups of seven, with the top three from each group advancing to the Super Six stage. South Africa and Zimbabwe, as Full Members, gain automatic qualification, while Namibia must qualify through the regular process.
This tournament will also be the first ICC event under the 2027-31 Future Tours Programme (FTP). Ongoing discussions about the new FTP include potential changes to the World Test Championship structure, possibly expanding it to all 12 Full Members and adding one-off Tests to the competition.
Australia has been the most successful team in World Cup history, winning titles in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, and 2023. India and the West Indies each have two titles to their name.