The ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 is the sixteenth edition of this international limited-overs tournament organized by the ICC. Zimbabwe and Namibia will host this tournament from January 15 to February 6, 2026, featuring emerging cricket talent from 16 teams. Australia will enter as the defending champion.
The tournament will have 16 teams divided into four groups of four. Tanzania will make its debut in this tournament, and Japan returns as a participant.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | India | Zimbabwe | Tanzania |
| Ireland | Bangladesh | Pakistan | West Indies |
| Japan | USA | England | Afghanistan |
| Sri Lanka | New Zealand | Scotland | South Africa |
Matches will be played across five venues: Queens Sports Club, Harare Sports Club, and Takashinga Sports Club in Zimbabwe, and Namibia Cricket Ground and High Performance Oval in Namibia. Zimbabwe will host 25 matches, including both semi-finals and the final, while Namibia will host 16 games. The tournament comprises 41 matches over 23 days. Get the schedule, format, and teams information in this blog.
ICC U19 World Cup 2026 Schedule
Th tournament will start on January 15, with the United States U19 playing India U19 at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo. The tournament will conclude on February 6 at the Harare Sports Club.
| Date | Match Number | Match | Group | Venue | Local Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, January 15 | Match 1 | United States U19 vs India U19 | B | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | 09:30 AM |
| Thursday, January 15 | Match 2 | Zimbabwe U19 vs Scotland U19 | C | Takashinga Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
| Thursday, January 15 | Match 3 | Tanzania U19 vs West Indies U19 | D | High Performance Oval, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Friday, January 16 | Match 4 | Pakistan U19 vs England U19 | C | Takashinga Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
| Friday, January 16 | Match 5 | Australia U19 vs Ireland U19 | A | Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Friday, January 16 | Match6 | Afghanistan U19 vs South Africa U19 | D | High Performance Oval, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Saturday, January 17 | Match 7 | India U19 vs Bangladesh U19 | B | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | 09:30 AM |
| Saturday, January 17 | Match 8 | Japan U19 vs Sri Lanka U19 | A | Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Sunday, January 18 | Match 9 | New Zealand U19 vs United States U19 | B | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | 09:30 AM |
| Sunday, January 18 | Match 10 | England U19 vs Zimbabwe U19 | C | Takashinga Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
| Sunday, January 18 | Match 11 | West Indies U19 vs Afghanistan U19 | D | High Performance Oval, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Monday, January 19 | Match 12 | Pakistan U19 vs Scotland U19 | C | Takashinga Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
| Monday, January 19 | Match 13 | Sri Lanka U19 vs Ireland U19 | A | Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Monday, January 19 | Match 14 | South Africa U19 vs Tanzania U19 | D | High Performance Oval, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Tuesday, January 20 | Match 15 | Bangladesh U19 vs New Zealand U19 | B | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | 09:30 AM |
| Tuesday, January 20 | Match 16 | Australia U19 vs Japan U19 | A | Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Wednesday, January 21 | Match 17 | England U19 vs Scotland U19 | C | Takashinga Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
| Wednesday, January 21 | Match 18 | Afghanistan U19 vs Tanzania U19 | D | High Performance Oval, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Thursday, January 22 | Match 19 | Zimbabwe U19 vs Pakistan U19 | C | Takashinga Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
| Thursday, January 22 | Match 20 | Ireland U19 vs Japan U19 | A | Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Thursday, January 22 | Match 21 | West Indies U19 vs South Africa U19 | D | High Performance Oval, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Friday, January 23 | Match 22 | Bangladesh U19 vs United States U19 | B | Takashinga Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
| Friday, January 23 | Match 23 | Sri Lanka U19 vs Australia U19 | A | Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Saturday, January 24 | Match 24 | India U19 vs New Zealand U19 | B | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | 09:30 AM |
| Saturday, January 24 | 1st Play-off | A4 vs D4 (1st Play-off) | – | High Performance Oval, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Sunday, January 25 | 1st Match | A1 vs D3 (Super Six Group 1) | – | Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Sunday, January 25 | 2nd Match | D2 vs A3 (Super Six Group 1) | – | High Performance Oval, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Monday, January 26 | 2nd Play-off | B4 vs C4 (2nd Play-off) | – | Harare Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
| Monday, January 26 | 3rd Match | C1 vs B2 (Super Six Group 2) | – | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | 09:30 AM |
| Monday, January 26 | 4th Match | D1 vs A2 (Super Six Group 1) | – | Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek | 09:30 AM |
| Tuesday, January 27 | 5th Match | C2 vs B3 (Super Six Group 2) | – | Harare Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
| Tuesday, January 27 | 6th Match | C3 vs B1 (Super Six Group 2) | – | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | 09:30 AM |
| Wednesday, January 28 | 7th Match | A1 vs D2 (Super Six Group 1) | – | Harare Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
| Thursday, January 29 | 8th Match | D3 vs A2 (Super Six Group 1) | – | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | 09:30 AM |
| Fri, January 30 | 9th Match | D1 vs A3 (Super Six Group 1) | – | Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla | 01:00 PM |
| Fri, January 30 | 10th Match | B3 vs C1 (Super Six Group 2) | – | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | 09:30 AM |
| Saturday, January 31 | 11th Match | B2 vs C3 (Super Six Group 2) | – | Harare Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
| Sunday, February 1 | 12th Match | B1 vs C2 (Super Six Group 2) | – | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | 09:30 AM |
| Tuesday, February 3 | 1st Semi-Final | AD1 vs BC2 | – | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | 09:30 AM |
| Wednesday, February 4 | 2nd Semi-Final | BC1 vs AD2 | – | Harare Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
| Friday, February 6 | Final | TBD vs TBD | – | Harare Sports Club, Harare | 09:30 AM |
Format Of The ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026
The tournament format for the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 is given below:
There are 16 teams divided into four groups (A, B, C, and D), each with four teams. In the initial group stage, each team plays every other team in its group.
The top three teams from each group advance to the Super Six stage, while the fourth-placed teams from Group A and Group D face each other in a placement/playoff match, and similarly, the fourth-placed teams from Group B and Group C face off in another placement match.
In the Super Six stage:
- The top three teams from Group A and Group D are merged into one Super Six group.
- The top three teams from Group B and Group C form another Super Six group.
- Each team carries forward the points, wins, and net run rate earned against the teams that also qualified for the Super Six from their original group.
- In the Super Six, teams play two matches against teams from the other group within their combined Super Six group, but only those teams that finished in different positions in the group stage. This means:
- The first-place team in Group A (A1) plays only the second and third-place teams from Group D (D2 and D3).
- The second-place team in Group A (A2) plays only the first and third-place teams from Group D (D1 and D3).
- The third-place team in Group A (A3) plays only the first and second-place teams from Group D (D1 and D2).
- Similarly, the same applies to the Group B and C teams matched crosswise.
- After all Super Six matches are completed, the top two teams from each Super Six group qualify for the semi-finals.
- The winners of both semi-finals will fight to become the champion on February 6.
Qualified Teams For the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026
All 16 teams have qualified for the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026.
| Method of Qualification | Teams |
|---|---|
| Host | Zimbabwe |
| 2024 Under-19 Cricket World Cup | Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies |
| Africa Qualifiers | Tanzania |
| Asia Qualifiers | Afghanistan |
| Europe Qualifiers | Scotland |
| East Asia-Pacific Qualifier | Japan |
| Americas Qualifier | United States |
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Conclusion: The ICC U19 World Cup 2026 Will Start From January 15
The ICC U19 World Cup 2026 will bring together 16 young and talented teams from around the world. With matches scheduled across Zimbabwe and Namibia, the tournament will run from January 15 to February 6 and follow an organized group and Super Six format. As the competition moves forward, fans can expect exciting matches, new talent, and strong performances from the next generation of cricketers.
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