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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed the host cities for the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2027. The next ODI World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; most of the matches will be held in South Africa.
The 2026 World Cup will mark the return of the flagship tournament in South Africa after 24 years. Last time, in 2003, World Cup matches were arranged there when Zimbabwe and Kenya were the associated hosting nations. In 2027, alongside South Africa, a chunk of matches will be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia. It will be hosting a senior ICC tournament for the first time.
Most of the 2027 ODI World Cup matches will be played in South Africa
Months before the tournament, the Council has confirmed the venues. In South Africa, matches will be played across Johannesburg, Centurion, Durban, Gqeberha, KuGompo City, Cape Town, Paarl and Bloemfontein. A total of 54 matches will be played there. The Final of the tournament is likely to be staged either at the Wanderers or at Newlands.
Zimbabwe is likely to host at least seven matches across their cities like Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, while Namibia is all set to host at least three matches.
Zimbabwe is preparing a new stadium to host a 2027 ODI World Cup match
Most of the venues for the tournament were agreed upon in the past. Victoria Falls is the only addition to the list of host cities. Victoria Falls is a new cricket stadium in Zimbabwe, which is yet to open its doors for competitive games ahead of the multi-nation tournament. The newly constructed stadium with a 10,000-seat capacity is likely to be completed later this year.
The 2027 men's ODI World Cup is set to run from October 4 to November 21; ahead of the opener of the tournament, a few domestic matches can take place at this new venue. In the first quarter of 2027, the venue can be eligible to host international matches.
For the warm-up matches of the tournament, Benoni and Potchefstroom can be used briefly.
An exciting milestone, Jay Shah says
ICC chairman Jay Shah, in an official press release, stated that the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will showcase a string of unforgettable matches to make their regions unique in every way.
“This marks an exciting milestone on the road to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. The unveiling of the host cities and the tournament brand signals the start of a journey that will unite fans around the world and build anticipation for one of our sport’s biggest global events,” ICC chairman Jay Shah stated in an official press release on July 30.
“The return of this prestigious tournament to Africa after 24 years is a landmark moment for cricket. We are confident that South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will deliver an unforgettable event, showcasing the warmth, passion and rich diversity that make this region truly unique,” he added.
Since 2003, South Africa has hosted multiple ICC events successfully, including the inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2007, both of the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cups in 2020 and 2024, the inaugural ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in 2023, and in the same year, they hosted the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
