Italy will make their debut at an ICC event by participating in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. They made history as the final European team to secure qualification for the tournament. The Azzurri will join the competition, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka.
A total of 20 teams will take part in the 2026 tournament, including the host nations India and Sri Lanka. Automatic qualification has also been earned by Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, the West Indies, and the United States—all of whom reached the Super Eights stage in the 2024 edition.
Additionally, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Ireland have qualified automatically based on their T20 International rankings.
Italy Secure Spot in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Captain Joe Burns has played a pivotal role in the rise of Italian cricket. Having represented Australia in 23 Test matches, Burns switched his allegiance to Italy in 2024 through his Italian grandparents. Since his arrival, the team’s performance has flourished under his leadership.
T20 World Cup: During the qualifiers, Italy secured wins against Guernsey and Scotland, while their game against Jersey was unfortunately abandoned due to rain. By finishing second in the ICC T20 World Cup Europe Qualifiers, Italy clinched their place in the World Cup. This came at the expense of Jersey, who missed out due to a lower Net Run Rate.
𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒛𝒛𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒊 🤩
— ICC (@ICC) July 11, 2025
Italy will make their first-ever appearance in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 🙌#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/sqN3ICFVfH
Despite losing their final qualification match to the Netherlands, the Joe Burns-led team has secured enough points to participate in next year’s prestigious championship. The Netherlands have also earned their spot in the ICC competition.
Italy became the 13th nation to qualify, followed by the Netherlands as the 14th, leaving six remaining places to be decided. These final spots will be filled through regional qualifiers: two teams from Africa, one from the Americas, and three from Asia/East Asia-Pacific.
Teams who have participated in ICC T20 World Cups so far by region
| Region | Countries |
|---|---|
| Europe | England, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Italy |
| Asia | India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Nepal, Oman, United Arab Emirates |
| Africa | South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, Uganda |
| Americas | West Indies, United States, Canada |
| Oceania | Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea |
