Dubai: The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 has received more than 120 million ticket requests, underlining the enormous global interest in the tournament that will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), a total of 120,809,467 ticket applications had been received as of November 1, 2026. Around 2.8 million unique fans from 193 countries have registered for an opportunity to purchase tickets for the 14th edition of the One-Day International (ODI) World Cup.
The figures were announced on November 2, with the ticket ballot scheduled to remain open until November 21. More than 32 million match registrations have already been completed, indicating that demand extends beyond only the high-profile fixtures.
The 2027 tournament will mark the return of the Men’s Cricket World Cup to Africa for the first time in 24 years. The previous edition hosted on the continent was held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya in 2003.
India among the leading countries for ticket demand
South Africa, the United Kingdom, India, the United States and Australia are among the countries generating the highest number of ballot registrations.
The African continent has contributed more than 14.9 million ticket applications, including requests from fans in South Africa and its co-hosts, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
South Africa has recorded particularly high demand. The 41 matches scheduled across eight venues in the country have attracted more than 105 million ticket applications. Matches involving the host nation, including its 11 fixtures and pre-seeded Super 7 matches, have received nearly 26 million requests.
Zimbabwe has recorded more than 13.35 million ticket requests. The group-stage match between Zimbabwe and India, scheduled for October 24 at the new Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium near Victoria Falls, has attracted more than 3.3 million applications.
Namibia has also drawn significant interest. More than two million ticket requests have been submitted for the six matches scheduled at Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek. The October 8 fixture between England and Bangladesh accounts for nearly 900,000 requests.
The figures reflect the interest generated across all three host countries, rather than demand being concentrated entirely in South Africa.
India-Pakistan match among the most sought-after fixtures
The group-stage encounter between India and Pakistan in Johannesburg has emerged as one of the tournament’s biggest attractions.
The October 10 match at The Wanderers Stadium has received 8,397,294 ticket applications, or nearly 8.4 million requests. The fixture is expected to attract attention from cricket supporters across the world because of the rivalry between the two teams.
The final, scheduled for November 21 at the same Johannesburg venue, has also generated substantial interest, with 7,900,944 ticket requests.
The figures place both matches among the most sought-after fixtures in the current ballot. However, the large number of applications does not mean that tickets have been sold or allocated. The ICC’s process is designed to determine which applicants will receive an opportunity to purchase tickets once the ballot closes.
How the World Cup ticket ballot works
The ICC has clarified that entering the ticket ballot is free. Fans do not have to make a payment when submitting an application.
Each person can submit one ballot entry per match and may apply for multiple matches across the tournament. The process is not based on a first-come, first-served system. Therefore, registering earlier does not provide an advantage over applying later within the permitted window.
Where applications for a particular match exceed the available ticket allocation, successful applicants will be selected through a randomised ballot process.
The ICC will communicate the outcome to both successful and unsuccessful applicants through the email address provided during registration. Those selected will receive information about how to proceed with purchasing tickets.
Fans can register by visiting the official website at tickets.cricketworldcup.com, creating an account and selecting their preferred matches through the fixtures, teams or stadium sections.
The registration deadline is 23:59 Central Africa Time on November 21, 2026. The ICC has cautioned that fans who do not enter the ballot during the registration period will not be eligible to access tickets through this ballot after it closes.
Africa prepares for a major cricket tournament
The 2027 edition will feature 14 teams playing 57 matches across 12 venues in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia during October and November.
For Namibia, the event will be particularly significant as the country prepares to host matches at a senior men’s Cricket World Cup for the first time. Zimbabwe will also showcase its new stadium at Victoria Falls.
The ICC sees the tournament as an opportunity to bring international cricket to a wider African audience while highlighting the region’s tourism, culture and hospitality.
ICC General Manager for Events and Cricket Operations Gaurav Saxena said the response reflected the global appeal of the competition and the significance of bringing the Men’s Cricket World Cup back to Africa.
With the ballot deadline approaching, the ICC has encouraged supporters who have not yet registered to submit their preferred match selections. The final number of successful applicants will depend on the available allocation and the outcome of the randomised process.