The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg will host the final of the 2027 Men's ODI World Cup, as well as the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan group-stage clash on October 10.
The iconic venue, which also hosted the 2003 World Cup final, has been selected ahead of Newlands in Cape Town to stage the tournament's biggest match on November 21.
The 14th edition of the ODI World Cup will be held across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, with the main tournament running from October 7 to November 21. The event will feature 14 teams across the preliminary round and main competition.
India vs Australia to Open Main Tournament
Newlands in Cape Town will host the opening match of the main round on October 7, when India take on defending champions Australia in a rematch of the 2023 World Cup final.
The tournament's preliminary stage will take place in Windhoek, Namibia, where a three-team Super Series will determine the final qualifier for the 12-team main event.
Newlands will also host one of the semi-finals on November 17, while the other knockout match is scheduled for SuperSport Park in Centurion on November 18. Both semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.
The tournament is scheduled to begin on October 2, with the main round starting five days later.
Wanderers Gets India vs Pakistan Blockbuster
The Wanderers will host the group-stage encounter between India and Pakistan on October 10, adding another major fixture to the Johannesburg venue's World Cup schedule.
With a capacity of more than 30,000, the ground will be one of the tournament's principal venues.
The possibility of a second India-Pakistan meeting also remains open. Under the tournament's pre-seeding system, the teams could meet again in Cape Town on November 7 during the Super 7 phase.
India and Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and one qualifier.
12 Teams to Compete in Main Tournament
The 12-team main event will be divided into two groups of six.
Group A: Afghanistan, Australia, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and one qualifier.
Group B: Bangladesh, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and one qualifier.
The two remaining places will be decided through a 10-team qualifying tournament scheduled to take place early in 2027. The winner will progress directly to the World Cup group stage, while the losing finalist and the two losing semi-finalists will enter the preliminary Super Series.
The top eight teams in the ICC rankings, excluding the co-hosts, secured automatic qualification based on the rankings as of September 30, 2026.
South Africa and Zimbabwe Begin Home Campaigns
Co-hosts South Africa will begin their campaign against New Zealand at Newlands on October 9. The fixture will be a rematch of the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final.
Zimbabwe will start their campaign against Afghanistan in Bulawayo on October 11.
Zimbabwe will host five group-stage matches, all on home soil. The newly constructed Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium in Victoria Falls will stage India's group match against Zimbabwe on October 24, along with three Super 7 fixtures.
Those matches are scheduled to include India vs Australia on October 28, Pakistan vs England on October 30 and Australia vs New Zealand on November 1.
Namibia will host three group-stage matches in addition to the preliminary round, including two involving England.
Super 7 Format to Shape the Knockout Race
After the group stage, the top three teams from each group will advance to the Super 7 phase. The best-performing fourth-placed team across the two groups will take the seventh spot.
The tournament's pre-seeding system will determine the Super 7 fixtures, with teams replacing eliminated seeded sides if an unseeded team progresses.
India are designated A1, Australia A2 and Pakistan A3, while England are listed as AB4. New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka occupy the first three positions in Group B.
The final Super 7 fixture is scheduled for Durban on November 14, when India are slated to face Sri Lanka.
12 Venues Across Three Countries
The 2027 ODI World Cup will be played across 12 venues in Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Windhoek will host matches in Namibia, while Zimbabwe's venues include Victoria Falls, Harare and Bulawayo.
South Africa will stage the bulk of the tournament, with matches scheduled in Cape Town, Paarl, Johannesburg, Centurion, Bloemfontein, Durban, East London and Gqeberha.
The Wanderers' selection for the final gives Johannesburg the tournament's biggest fixture, while Newlands will host the opening match and a semi-final.
With India vs Pakistan scheduled for October 10 and a possible second meeting in November, the tournament calendar already features several of the most anticipated fixtures of the 2027 World Cup.
