ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Qualified Nations – Full Teams List and Newcomers (Italy Debut!)
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will feature 20 teams. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is the tenth edition of the tournament and is scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February and March 2026.
This edition will feature an expanded format with 20 teams participating, which is the same structure used for the 2024 tournament. The 20 teams are initially divided into four groups of five, followed by a Super Eights stage before the knockout semi-finals and the final.
Teams qualified through several routes:
- Hosts: India and Sri Lanka.
- Direct Qualification: The top eight teams from the 2024 T20 World Cup (excluding the hosts who finished in the top eight).
- ICC Rankings: The next highest-ranked teams on the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings.
- Regional Qualifiers: Teams earned their spots through regional qualifying tournaments across the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia/East Asia-Pacific regions.
The tournament is a significant event in the international cricket calendar, providing an opportunity for both established powerhouses and emerging associate nations to compete on the global stage.
The final qualification spots were filled following the conclusion of the regional qualifiers, completing the lineup for the marquee event.
Full Gallery of Qualified Teams
The stage is now set for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, with all 20 teams officially confirmed.
| Team | Qualification Path |
|---|---|
| India | Host nation |
| Sri Lanka | Co-host nation |
| Afghanistan | Top 7 finish in 2024 edition |
| Australia | Top 7 finish in 2024 edition |
| Bangladesh | Top 7 finish in 2024 edition |
| England | Top 7 finish in 2024 edition |
| South Africa | Top 7 finish in 2024 edition |
| United States of America (USA) | Top 7 finish in 2024 edition |
| West Indies | Top 7 finish in 2024 edition |
| Ireland | Qualified via ICC men’s T20I rankings |
| New Zealand | Qualified via ICC men’s T20I rankings |
| Pakistan | Qualified via ICC men’s T20I rankings |
| Canada | Americas regional qualifier |
| Italy | Europe regional qualifier (making debut) |
| Netherlands | Europe regional qualifier |
| Namibia | Africa regional qualifier |
| Zimbabwe | Africa regional qualifier |
| Nepal | Asia/East-Asia-Pacific (Asia-EAP) qualifier |
| Oman | Asia/EAP qualifier |
| United Arab Emirates (UAE) | Asia/EAP qualifier – last team to confirm |
(Source details: The official announcement by the International Cricket Council and summary tables.)
Qualification Overview
A total of 20 teams qualified for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup through three main routes:
- Hosts (2 Teams): India and Sri Lanka qualified automatically as co-hosts.
- Performance in T20 World Cup 2024 & Rankings (10 Teams):
- The top 7 teams from the 2024 tournament (excluding the hosts) secured direct entry.
- The next 3 highest-ranked teams in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings (as of June 30, 2024) that had not already qualified earned a spot.
- Regional Qualifiers (8 Teams): The remaining eight spots were filled via regional qualification tournaments held across the globe:
- Africa: 2 Qualifiers (Namibia, Zimbabwe)
- Americas: 1 Qualifier (Canada)
- Asia/East Asia-Pacific (EAP): 3 Qualifiers (Nepal, Oman, UAE)
- Europe: 2 Qualifiers (Italy, Netherlands)
Key Highlights & Insights
- This tournament will retain the 20-team format, with four groups of five teams in the initial stage, followed by a “Super 8s” round, semi-finals and a final.
- Two co-hosts: India and Sri Lanka — returning to host duties together.
- Historic debut: Italy will compete in the T20 World Cup for the first time.
- Final three qualification spots were secured via the Asia/EAP qualifier: Nepal, Oman and UAE. UAE locked in the 20th slot.
- Teams that finished top 7 in the previous edition (2024) and teams qualifying via rankings or regional qualifiers form the mix — a good balance of established sides and emerging nations.
What This Means for Fans & Teams
- More competition: With 20 teams and a format proven in 2024, every side has to prepare with depth.
- Emerging nations on the big stage: Italy’s debut and teams like Namibia, Oman and Nepal showing up create fresh storylines.
- Hosts with pressure & opportunity: India (defending champions) and Sri Lanka will want to leverage home advantage.
- Global spread: Representation from all regions (Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia/EAP) says a lot about cricket’s growing reach.
- Format continuity: Familiar structure helps fans and teams plan — group phase → Super 8s → semis → final.