All the teams for the 2026 edition have been confirmed after the UAE secured the 20th spot

All the teams for the 2026 edition have been confirmed after the UAE secured the 20th spot

The stage is set for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka as all 20 participating nations are confirmed. The UAE have qualified as the 20th and final team for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially secured its place in the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, set to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Their qualification came after a convincing eight-wicket win over Japan in the Asia-East Asia Pacific (Asia-EAP) Qualifier held in Al Amerat. Chasing a modest target of 117, UAE’s bowlers and openers delivered a clinical performance to seal the deal.

Haider Ali was the standout with the ball, picking up 3 wickets for just 20 runs. His effort helped restrict Japan to a manageable total. In response, the UAE’s openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem put on a solid 70-run partnership, laying the foundation for a comfortable chase. With this win, the UAE joined Nepal and Oman as the final three teams to qualify for next year’s tournament.

The 2026 T20 World Cup will feature 20 teams. Alongside hosts India and Sri Lanka, seven teams earned automatic qualification by finishing in the top seven of the 2024 T20 World Cup: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, the United States, and the West Indies. Three more teams New Zealand, Pakistan, and Ireland qualified based on their T20I rankings.

From the regional qualifiers, Canada took the sole spot from the Americas. Italy, making their debut in the T20 World Cup, and the Netherlands qualified from Europe. Namibia and Zimbabwe secured their places from the Africa region. The Asia-EAP round wrapped up the qualification process, with Nepal, Oman, and the UAE claiming the final three spots.

The tournament format will remain the same as the previous edition. The 20 teams will be divided into four groups of five, with each team playing the others in their group once. The top two teams from each group will move on to the Super 8 stage, which will be split into two groups of four. After another round-robin phase, the top two teams from each Super 8 group will advance to the semi-finals, followed by the final to determine the champion.