Italy Qualifies for ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in Historic First

The landmark achievement came during the Europe Qualifier held in The Hague, despite a nine-wicket loss to the Netherlands in their final match.

Italy’s campaign was highlighted by clinical performances, including a convincing win over Guernsey and a stunning upset against Scotland—one of Europe’s top-ranked associate teams. These key victories proved decisive in the final standings, as Italy edged past Jersey on net run-rate to secure qualification.

Ranked 32nd in the world, Italy becomes the 13th team to qualify for the 2026 edition, which will be the largest T20 World Cup to date, featuring 20 teams. The tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

The Netherlands also secured qualification from the European region, leaving six remaining spots to be filled through upcoming qualifiers in Africa, the Americas, and Asia/East Asia-Pacific.

Qualified Teams So Far (13 of 20):

India (host), Sri Lanka (host), Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies, USA, Pakistan, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands.

Italy’s qualification underscores the growing competitiveness of associate nations in international cricket and represents a major step forward for the sport’s development in Southern Europe.