The United States earned the 16th and last side to qualify for the 2026 Under-19 Men’s World Cup, completing the lineup for the 50-over event, which will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia. Zimbabwe, as a Full Member nation, qualifies automatically alongside the top 10 teams from the 2024 tournament.
Directly eligible teams include the previous edition’s finalists, India and Australia, as well as Bangladesh, England, Ireland, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the West Indies. These teams were selected based on their previous performances and Full Member status, providing a strong, competitive field for the 2026 season.
The final five positions were determined through regional qualifying competitions. Tanzania overcame Namibia in the Africa Qualifier before winning convincingly over Kenya to claim their World Cup spot. Namibia, despite being one of the co-hosts, will miss the tournament due to their failure to advance in the qualifiers, as automatic qualifying is only available to Full Member host nations.
Afghanistan qualified for the World Cup through the Asia tournament, defeating Nepal on net run rate (NRR) after their final match, which might have determined the tournament, was called off. Japan won the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier, marking a historic achievement for the area, while Scotland won the Europe Qualifier with a thrilling final-day triumph over the Netherlands. Finally, the USA won the Americas Qualifier, defeating Canada, Bermuda, and Argentina to secure the final slot in the 16-team event.
When the tournament begins, the 16 teams will be divided into four groups, with the top three from each group moving on to the Super Sixes round.
Following that, the top two teams from each Super Sixes group will advance to the semi-finals, culminating in the final match for the coveted Under-19 World Cup trophy.
Historically, India is the most successful team in the tournament’s history with five titles, while defending champions Australia have four. With a mix of established teams and emerging cricket nations, the 2026 edition promises competitive cricket action.
India
