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ICC revamps World Cup formats: All changes to the ODI and T20 World Cups explained
ICCΒ has signed off on sweeping structural changes to its two biggest men's tournaments, the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
These changes were finalised by the ICC Board following its annual meetings held in Edinburgh, based on recommendations put forward by the organisation's Chief Executives' Committee.
According to the ICC, the revamp is designed to make matches more meaningful and ensure greater stakes are attached to every stage of these global events.
2027 ODI World Cup format explained
The 50-over World Cup will continue to feature 14 participating nations, but the pathway to the final will now look considerably different. The tournament will open with a newly introduced Super Series round, involving the three lowest-ranked qualifying teams, numbers 12, 13 and 14.
These sides will compete in a round-robin format, with only the top-performing team advancing further. From there, Round 2 will consist of two groups of six teams each, with the top three finishers from each group, plus the next-best team overall across both groups, progressing into a newly created Super 7 stage.
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This Super 7 phase will also follow a round-robin format, with the top four teams booking semi-final spots, arranged as 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3, before the tournament concludes with the final.
"The structure has been designed to strengthen the competitive narrative across every stage of the event, with matches from Round 1 and Round 2 carrying higher consequence, with a highly competitive Super 7 stage witnessing 7 qualifying teams going through a round-robin stage to qualify for the semi-finals," the ICC said in a release.
"The increased consequence and enhanced competitive intensity promise to enhance the overall experience for fans while continuing to provide emerging teams with the opportunity to compete on cricket's biggest stage."
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| Previous Format | New Format |
|---|---|
| Two groups of 7 (42 matches) | Round 1: Teams 12, 13, 14 β Round-robin 'Super Series'; top team progresses to Round 2 |
| Top 3 teams qualify for Super Six | Round 2: Two groups of 6 (30 matches); top 3 teams from each group plus next highest-placed team overall qualify for Super 7 |
| Super Six β Two groups of three (9 matches) | Round 3: Super 7 β Round robin (21 matches); top 4 teams progress to semis |
| Top two teams from each group progress to semis | β |
| Semifinals (2 matches) | Semifinals (2 matches): 1 vs 4 & 2 vs 3 |
| Final | Final |
New format for 2028 T20 World Cup
While the T20 World Cup will hold steady at 20 teams overall, its middle phase is getting bigger with the old Super Eight setup makes way for a Super 10 stage instead.
As for the group stage, teams will now be split across five groups of four each, with the top two from every group moving through to the next round.
Β The Super 10 stage will then be split into two groups of five teams apiece, with the top-placed team in each group securing direct qualification into the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, the second and third-placed sides from both Super 10 groups will face off in newly introduced eliminator matches to determine the two remaining semi-final spots.
"This promises to expand the representation of cricketβs emerging nations in the Super 10 stage while also delivering higher competitive standards," the ICC said.
"The addition of βeliminatorsβ where the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams from groups in the Super 10 stage compete against each other for spots in the semi-finals also then adds significant consequence to the closing matches of the Super 10 stage."
| Previous Format | New Format |
|---|---|
| Group Stage β 40 matches | Group Stage β 30 matches |
| 4 groups of 5 teams each | 5 groups of 4 teams each |
| Two teams from each group progress | Two teams from each group progress |
| Super Eights β Two groups of four (12 matches) | Super 10 β Two groups of five (20 matches) |
| Top two teams from each group progress to semis | Top team in each group confirms semifinal spot; 2nd-placed teams play Eliminator against 3rd-placed teams from the opposite group |
| β | Eliminators (2 matches) |
| Semifinals (2 matches) | Semifinals (2 matches) |
| Final | Final |
T20 World Cup 2028 qualification structure
Alongside the ODI World Cup changes, the ICC Board has also approved the qualification structure leading into the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2028.
Scotland has been granted direct entry into the Europe Regional Final, a decision made in recognition of the unusual circumstances surrounding their participation in the 2026 edition.
Meanwhile, teams that featured in the 2026 T20 World Cup but failed to secure automatic qualification will move straight into the Global Qualifier stage. The remaining eight spots in the Global Qualifier will be determined through regional qualifying pathways, with Africa, Asia and Europe each receiving two allocated places, while the Americas and East Asia-Pacific regions will each receive one spot.
Once the Global Qualifier concludes, the top-ranked team from each region, combined with the next three highest-placed teams overall, will secure qualification for the 2028 tournament, provided they meet the ICC's minimum performance criteria.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Direct entry to Europe Regional Final | Scotland (due to exceptional circumstances around 2026 participation) |
| Direct entry to Global Qualifier | Teams that played in the 2026 T20 World Cup but did not secure automatic qualification |
| Additional Global Qualifier spots via regional pathways | 8 teams total |
| β Africa | 2 places |
| β Asia | 2 places |
| β Europe | 2 places |
| β Americas | 1 place |
| β East Asia-Pacific | 1 place |
| Qualification for 2028 T20 World Cup | Highest-placed team from each region at the Global Qualifier + next 3 highest-placed teams overall (subject to minimum performance criteria) |
