The race for the 2027 ODI World Cup is heating up among the Associate nations, with four spots up for grabs for the tournament in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in November 2027.
Ten teams have already secured qualification for the quadrennial tournament, based on their rankings and status as full-member hosts, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Also read | How can West Indies qualify for ODI World Cup 2027?
Namibia, an Associate nation, will also have to go through the qualification process to secure a spot at the 2027 World Cup.
How does an associate nation qualify for World Cup 2027?
Based on their rankings, the Associate nations have been divided into two tiers: ODI Super League 2 and Challenge League A and B.
ODI Super League 2 features eight nations competing over three years, with each team playing 36 matches. The top four teams will earn direct qualification for the World Cup Qualifiers, scheduled to take place in November next year.
Current Super League 2 standings
In the Challenge League, 12 teams are divided into two pools, A and B. Each team will play 15 matches over three years.
Qualifiers Playoffs
While the top four teams from ODI Super League 2 qualify directly for the World Cup Qualifiers, the bottom four will have to compete in the Qualifier Play-off.
There, they meet top four teams from the Challenge League: two each from one Pool.
The eight teams will then compete against each other, with the top four advancing to the CWC Qualifiers.
CWC Qualifiers
This is where the eight qualified teams, four from League 2 and four from the Qualifier Play-offs, meet the two lowest-ranked non-host full-member nations, Ireland and West Indies in this edition.
The 10 teams will compete in a tournament, with the top four eventually securing spots at the World Cup. The top-ranked team will advance directly to the second round, while the other three will play a single round-robin Super Series, with the winner joining them in the second round.
Published on Aug 11, 2026
