The ICC has officially unveiled the schedule for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia set to host the 14-team tournament from 2 October to 21 November 2027 under the theme "Three Nations, One Heartbeat."
A total of 57 matches will be played across 12 venues, with the tournament beginning in Windhoek on the 2nd of October. Five days later, South Africa hosts a replay of the last final between defending champions Australia and India at Newlands in Cape Town on 7 October.
Co-hosts Zimbabwe will mark their return to the Men’s Cricket World Cup after a 12-year absence when they take on Qualifier-A at Queen’s Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday, 9 October. In Cape Town, South Africa will begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand at Newlands.
The opening weekend will reach a crescendo on Sunday, 10 October, when traditional rivals India and Pakistan renew their iconic competitiveness at Wanderers Stadium. In Windhoek, Sri Lanka will also begin their World Cup campaign against Qualifier-B, bringing the opening weekend to a thrilling close.
The semifinals will be held in Cape Town (17 November) and Centurion (18 November), before the final takes place at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on 21 November 2027.
NO BALLOT, NO TICKET
Adding to the excitement ahead of the tournament, the ICC has opened the ticket ballot, giving fans around the world the chance to register now for an opportunity to secure their place at what promises to be a memorable celebration of cricket.
Fans are encouraged to enter the ticket ballot, which will close on the 21st of November. The ballot, introduced to manage global demand and equitable ticketing access for all fans, is the only way for fans to take the first steps towards being part of the action.
The ballot gives fans a fair opportunity to access tickets for the 14th edition of the sport's most anticipated tournament. Entry is free and is not a first come, first served. All valid entries received between 1 October and 21 November 2026 will be considered equally, regardless of when in the ballot period they are submitted.
TICKETS.CRICKETWORLDCUP.COM
Fans may enter for as many matches as they wish, with each match treated as a separate entry. They can request up to four tickets per match and select their preferred ticket category at the same time. Where demand for a match exceeds the tickets available, a randomised ballot process will determine which valid entrants are eligible to purchase.
Entry requires no payment. Successful entrants will be contacted by email and given a defined window to purchase the tickets made available to them. Where a match is not oversubscribed, registered fans will receive access to purchase tickets, with any remaining inventory potentially released in later sales phases. Entering the ballot does not guarantee tickets.
Fans everywhere now have the chance to register their interest and be part of what will be Africa's biggest Cricket World Cup yet. The ballot is open to fans worldwide, for matches across all three host nations.
HOW THE BALLOT WORKS:
Entry into the ticket ballot is free and does not require payment at the point of registration.
Fans can submit one ballot entry per person, per match, and may enter the ballot for multiple matches across the tournament.
The ballot is not first-come, first-served, meaning fans have the opportunity to enter at any point during the ballot window without their chances being determined by how early they register.
Where demand for a fixture exceeds the available ticket allocation, access to purchase tickets will be determined through a randomised ballot process. Successful applicants will be contacted by email with information on how to access the ticket purchasing process.
The ticket ballot will remain open until 23:59 (SAST) on 21 November 2026.
Successful and unsuccessful ballot applications will be communicated via the email address that customers share during ballot registration.
FANS MUST NOTE: No tickets are purchased or paid for during the ballot process.
WHERE TO ENTER: tickets.cricketworldcup.com
PLEASE NOTE: No tickets are purchased or paid for during the ballot process.