The United States has become the 16th and final team to qualify for the 2026 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, set to be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia. The 50-over tournament will feature the top teams from around the globe, with Zimbabwe earning automatic qualification as a Full Member nation alongside the top ten teams from the 2024 edition.
Defending champions Australia, runners-up India, and other top cricketing nations—including Bangladesh, England, Pakistan, South Africa, and the West Indies—had already secured their spots. The remaining five places were determined through regional qualifiers, where emerging cricketing nations battled for a chance to compete on the world stage.
In a dramatic turn of events, Namibia, despite co-hosting, failed to qualify after losing to Tanzania in the Africa Qualifier. Meanwhile, Afghanistan edged out Nepal on net run-rate in a rain-affected Asia Qualifier, while Japan, Scotland, and the USA triumphed in their respective regional playoffs. The USA sealed their place by topping the Americas Qualifier with dominant wins over Canada, Bermuda, and Argentina.
The 16 teams will be split into four groups, with the top three from each advancing to the Super Sixes stage. The semi-finals will then feature the best two teams from each Super Sixes group. India remains the most successful team in the tournament’s history with five titles, while Australia, the current champions, have lifted the trophy four times.
