The International Cricket Council approved major changes to the formats of the men’s ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup during its annual board meetings in Edinburgh, marking a significant shift for global cricket tournaments.
The ICC board also approved a new qualification system for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup and backed plans for a new 16-team global tournament exclusively for associate member nations.
ODI World Cup gets new format
The 50-over World Cup will continue to feature 14 teams, but the International Cricket Council introduced a new three-stage format to make every match more meaningful. In a statement, the ICC said the updated format will retain the 14-team tournament while creating a more exciting competition for players and fans.
Under the new format, the tournament will begin with a Super Series. The teams ranked 12th, 13th and 14th in the qualification standings will compete in a round-robin tournament, with only the winner advancing to the main tournament.
The winning team will then join the other 11 qualified nations in the second stage, where two groups of six teams will play a total of 30 matches. The top three teams from each group, along with the next-best team across both groups, will advance to the new Super 7 stage.
The Super 7 stage will feature a single round-robin format, with all seven teams playing each other once in 21 matches. The top four teams will then qualify for the semifinals. The first-place team will face the fourth-place team, while the second-place team will play the third-place team, with the winners advancing to the final.
The previous World Cup format featured two groups of seven teams, followed by a Super Six stage before the semifinals.
The ICC said the new format will increase the importance of every match and create stronger competition while continuing to give emerging teams the opportunity to compete on cricket’s biggest stage.
ICC have revamped the format of its marquee men’s events to enhance competitive structure and elevate sporting standards.https://t.co/MbpROsVn4w
— ICC (@ICC) July 15, 2026
T20 World Cup revamped
The ICC also approved significant changes to the Men’s T20 World Cup while retaining its 20-team field.
Instead of four groups of five teams, the opening round will now feature five groups of four, reducing the number of first-round matches from 40 to 30. The top two teams from each group will advance to a newly introduced Super 10 stage.
The 10 qualifying teams will then be split into two groups of five. The winner of each group will earn a direct place in the semi-finals.
To add further significance to the closing stages of the Super 10, the ICC has introduced an eliminator round. The second-placed team in each group will face the third-placed team from the opposite group, with the two winners completing the four-team semi-final lineup.
Previously, the tournament featured a Super Eights stage comprising two groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing directly to the semi-finals.
New qualification pathway for 2028
The ICC Board also approved the qualification process for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup.
Scotland has been granted direct entry into the Europe Regional Final in recognition of what the ICC described as the exceptional circumstances surrounding its participation in the 2026 tournament.
All other teams that played in the 2026 T20 World Cup but did not secure automatic qualification for 2028 will advance directly to the Global Qualifier.
The remaining eight Global Qualifier spots will come through regional events, with Africa, Asia and Europe each providing two teams, while the Americas and East Asia-Pacific regions will each contribute one.
From the Global Qualifier, the highest-finishing team from each region, along with the next three best-performing teams overall, will qualify for the 2028 World Cup, subject to meeting the ICC’s minimum performance standards.
New tournament for associate nations
In another major decision, the International Cricket Council backed a proposal to launch a standalone 16-team global tournament for associate member nations as a qualification pathway to the T20 World Cup.
The new tournament is intended to give emerging cricket nations more opportunities to play high-quality international matches on a regular basis while helping improve the overall standard of associate cricket. It is also expected to become a premier event for associate member teams.
The proposal has not yet received final approval. It will next be reviewed by the ICC Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee before returning to the ICC board for final consideration at its November meetings.
