ICC Confirms Qualification Process for Cricket at Los Angeles 2028 Olympics | ICC Olympics Qualifier 2027 Announced

Dubai, June 29

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the International Olympic Committee have officially confirmed the qualification pathway for cricket’s long-awaited return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028 (LA28), including the introduction of the inaugural ICC Olympics Qualifier tournament.

Six nations will compete in each of the Men’s and Women’s T20 competitions at LA28, with Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania guaranteed representation. Five qualification places in each event will be determined through existing ICC tournaments and the ICC T20 International rankings, while the sixth and final berth will be decided through the newly introduced ICC Olympics Qualifier, scheduled for 2027.

The ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 has already produced the first four qualified teams for the women’s Olympic competition. Australia, Great Britain (represented through England), India, and South Africa secured qualification after finishing as the highest-ranked eligible teams from their respective continents.

Host nation United States will automatically qualify for both the men’s and women’s tournaments, provided they appear within the top 15 of the respective ICC T20I rankings during the qualification period between June 30 and December 31, 2026.

For the men’s competition, the remaining automatic qualification places will be awarded to the highest-ranked eligible teams from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania based on the ICC Men’s T20I rankings as of December 31, 2026.

The final qualification spot in both competitions will be decided at the eight-team ICC Olympics Qualifier 2027, where the winning men’s and women’s teams will earn the final tickets to Los Angeles.

The ICC also announced a special qualification process for the Caribbean. Since the West Indies represents multiple sovereign nations and is not recognised as a National Olympic Committee by the IOC, it cannot directly compete in the Olympic Games. If the West Indies men’s or women’s teams finish among the top eight highest-ranked non-qualified teams by the end of 2026, a separate Caribbean qualifying tournament will determine which National Olympic Committee will represent the region at the ICC Olympics Qualifier.

Each qualified nation will be allowed to name a 15-player squad. The six participating teams in each tournament will be divided into two groups of three, with the top two teams advancing to contest the gold medal match, while the third- and fourth-placed teams will compete for the bronze medal.

A total of 28 matches will be played across the men’s and women’s competitions at a purpose-built cricket venue in Pomona, near Los Angeles.

ICC Chairman Jay Shah described cricket’s Olympic return as a landmark moment for the sport.

“Cricket’s return to the Olympic Games is a landmark moment for our sport and a powerful opportunity to showcase the very best of cricket to the world. The qualification pathway provides every Member nation with a clear and exciting route to the Olympic stage.”

ICC Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta said the qualification structure balances competitive standards with global representation while helping introduce cricket to new audiences through the Olympic platform.

The ICC added that further details, including the dates and host nation for the ICC Olympics Qualifier 2027, will be announced in due course.

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