The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg will host the 2027 ODI World Cup final, as it did in 2003, as well as the marquee match between India and Pakistan on October 10 at next year's tournament. Wanderers, South Africa's biggest ground with a capacity of over 30,000, has been preferred over Newlands in Cape Town, an iconic ground because of its mountain backdrop.
Newlands will instead host the opening match between India and defending champions Australia on October 7 to kick off the group stage of the 14th edition of the tournament. Prior to that, the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek will stage the Super Series, a three-team preliminary round which will decide which side makes it to the 12-team main event. Newlands gets a semi-final as well on November 17, with the other knockout game scheduled to take place in SuperSport Park on November 18. Zimbabwe, the co-hosts, are getting five games in the World Cup group stage and they play all of them at home.
The 12 teams - two of whom have yet to be decided - will be divided into two groups of six. Afghanistan, Australia, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and one of the qualifiers make up Group A. Bangladesh, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and the other qualifier make up Group B. The two qualifiers will be confirmed from a 10-team tournament early next year, with the winner advancing to the group stage and the losing finalist and two losing semi-finalists to play the Super Series. A venue for the qualifiers has yet to be established but it is likely to be played either in South Africa or Namibia.
— ICC (@ICC) October 1, 2026
The ICC Men's #CWC27 fixtures have been unveiled
Access the ticket ballot https://t.co/MSLEQzcObb pic.twitter.com/dpTE4TEjO7
The World Cup will be staged between October 2 - to commemorate the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, who spent two decades working as a lawyer in South Africa - and will conclude on November 21.
Co-hosts South Africa begin their campaign against New Zealand - a re-match of the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final - at Newlands on October 9. Groub A co-hosts Zimbabwe will face Afghanistan in Bulawayo on October 11 to start their journey.
The top three teams of each group will move into the Super 7 phase, with the better fourth-place finisher across the two groups taking the seventh spot. Several teams already have their designations for the Super 7 phase.
A1: India
A2: Australia
A3: Pakistan
AB4: England
B1: New Zealand
B2: South Africa
B3: Sri Lanka
More to follow