The Cricket World Cup Qualifier (previously called the ICC Trophy and officially known as the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier) is a One-Day International (ODI) cricket tournament that serves as the culmination of the qualification process for the Cricket World Cup. It is usually played in the year before the World Cup. Although the tournament has used a variety of different formats, a final qualification event has been a feature of every World Cup since 1979.

Quick Facts Administrator, Format ...

ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier

Administrator	International Cricket Council
Format	One-Day International
First edition	1979
Tournament format	Multiple (refer to article)
Number of teams	10 (since 2014-2023) 12 (as of 2026)
Current champion	Sri Lanka (2nd title)
Most successful	Zimbabwe (3 titles)
Qualification	Cricket World Cup 1979 (2 berths) 1982–90 (1 berth) 1994–2001 (3 berths) 2005 (5 berths) 2009 (4 berths) 2014–23 (2 berths) 2026–30 (4 berths)[1]
Most runs	Khurram Khan (1,369)
Most wickets	Roland Lefebvre (71)

Close

From 1979 to 2001, all associate members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) were eligible to participate in the ICC Trophy. Regional qualification was introduced for the 2005 ICC Trophy – the final tournament to bear that name – with the World Cricket League (WCL) introduced in 2007. Until 2015, automatic qualification was granted to all full members of the ICC. However, for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, only the top eight teams in the ICC ODI Championship were given automatic qualification, meaning ICC full members played in the Qualifier for the first time. The WCL was discontinued in 2019, with qualification for the World Cup Qualifier instead determined by a series of leagues including the Super League, League 2 and Challenge League.^[2]

The number of qualifying berths available from the World Cup Qualifier currently stands at two for the 2023 event, but has varied from a minimum of one (1982, 1986, 1990) to a maximum of five (2005). Zimbabwe is the most successful team, having won three consecutive titles between 1982 and 1990, while Scotland is the only other team to have won multiple titles. Historically performance at the World Cup Qualifier has been a key determinant for elevation to full membership of the ICC and Test status, with Sri Lanka (1981), Zimbabwe (1992) and Bangladesh (2000) being awarded full membership after ICC Trophy wins.

In September 2018, the ICC confirmed that all matches in the ICC World Cup Qualifier will have ODI status, regardless if a team does not have ODI status prior to the start of an individual tournament event.^[3][4]

More information Team, Titles ...

Teams reaching the top four

Team	Titles	Runners-up	Third place	Fourth place
Zimbabwe	3 (1982, 1986, 1990)		1 (2018)	1 (2023)
Scotland	2 (2005, 2014)		2 (1997, 2023)	2 (2001, 2018)
Sri Lanka	2 (1979, 2023)
Netherlands	1 (2001)	3 (1986, 1990, 2023)	2 (1994, 2009)
Ireland	1 (2009)	1 (2005)		1 (1997)
United Arab Emirates	1 (1994)	1 (2014)
Bangladesh	1 (1997)		1* (1990)	1 (1982)
Afghanistan	1 (2018)
Canada		2 (1979, 2009)	2 (2001, 2005)
Kenya		2 (1994, 1997)	1* (1990)	1 (2009)
Bermuda		1 (1982)	1* (1979)	3 (1986, 1994, 2005)
Namibia		1 (2001)
West Indies		1 (2018)
Denmark			2 (1979*, 1986)
Papua New Guinea			1 (1982)	1 (2014)
Hong Kong			1 (2014)

Close

• No play-off for third place was held at the 1979 and 1990 tournaments – teams defeated in the semi-finals are deemed to have shared third place and are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Legend

• Teams that qualified for the World Cup due to their performance in a particular edition are underlined.
• AQ – Team received automatic qualification to the World Cup, so did not participate in the Qualifier
• 1st – Champions
• 2nd – Runners-up
• 3rd – Third place
• SF – Losing semi-finalist (no third-place play-off)
• R1, R2 – First round, second round (no further play-offs)
• PO – Team lost in an inter-round play-off (2001 only; ranked 9th–10th)
• × – Qualified, but withdrew

More information Team, Defunct teams ...

Team	1979	1982	1986	1990	1994	1997	2001	2005	2009	2014	2018	2023
Afghanistan	Ineligible							—	5th	AQ	1st	AQ
Argentina	R1	×	R1	R1	R1	21st	R1	—	—	—	—	—
Bangladesh	R1	4th	R1	SF	R2	1st	AQ
Bermuda	SF	2nd	4th	R1	4th	9th	PO	4th	9th	—	—	—
Canada	2nd	R1	R1	R2	R2	7th	3rd	3rd	2nd	8th	—	—
Denmark	SF	×	3rd	R2	R1	5th	6th	8th	12th	—	—	—
Fiji	R1	R1	R1	R1	R1	11th	R1	—	—	—	—	—
France	Ineligible						R1	—	—	—	—	—
Germany	Ineligible						R1	—	—	—	—	—
Gibraltar	—	R1	R1	R1	20th	19th	R1	—	—	—	—	—
Hong Kong	—	R1	R1	R1	R2	8th	R1	—	—	3rd	10th	—
Ireland	Ineligible				R2	4th	8th	2nd	1st	AQ	5th	7th
Israel	R1	R1	R1	R1	R1	22nd	R1	—	—	—	—	—
Italy	Ineligible					19th	×	—	—	—	—	—
Kenya	—	R1	R1	SF	2nd	2nd	AQ		4th	5th	—	—
Malaysia	R1	R1	R1	R1	R1	16th	R1	—	—	—	—	—
Namibia	Ineligible				R1	15th	2nd	7th	8th	6th	—	—
Nepal	Ineligible					—	R1	—	—	9th	8th	8th
Netherlands	R1	R1	2nd	2nd	3rd	6th	1st	5th	3rd	7th	7th	2nd
Oman	Ineligible							9th	11th	—	—	6th
Papua New Guinea	R1	3rd	R1	R2	R1	13th	R1	11th	—	4th	9th	—
Scotland	Ineligible					3rd	4th	1st	6th	1st	4th	3rd
Singapore	R1	R1	×	R1	19th	14th	R1	—	—	—	—	—
Sri Lanka	1st	AQ										1st
Uganda	Ineligible						PO	12th	10th	10th	—	—
United Arab Emirates	Ineligible				1st	10th	5th	6th	7th	2nd	6th	9th
United States	R1	R1	R1	R2	R1	12th	7th	10th	—	—	—	10th
West Indies	AQ										2nd	5th
Zimbabwe	—	1st	1st	1st	AQ						3rd	4th
Defunct teams
East Africa	R1	R1	R1	ICC membership ceased
East and Central Africa	—	—	—	R1	18th	17th	R1	ICC membership ceased
West Africa	—	R1	—	—	17th	18th	×	ICC membership ceased
Wales	R1	Invited as a guest team for the 1979 tournament; never an ICC member

Close

• ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier