The Men's Cricket World Cup: every final since 1975, and the 2027 tournament.

Status on 22 October 2026

There was no Men's Cricket World Cup in 2026. The most recent edition, in India in 2023, was won by Australia. The 2027 tournament is upcoming: the ICC unveiled its schedule in Cape Town on 1 October 2026.

The 2027 World Cup (upcoming)

From the ICC's release and tournament news (read through search summaries):

• Hosts: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
• Dates: 2 October to 21 November 2027.
• Size: 14 teams playing 57 matches at 12 venues.
• Semi-finals in Cape Town on 17 November and Tshwane on 18 November 2027; the final at the Wanderers, Johannesburg, on 21 November 2027.

One fixture is given two ways by the ICC. Its media release puts South Africa v New Zealand on 8 October 2027 in Centurion (Tshwane), while its full fixture list puts the same match on 9 October 2027 at Newlands, Cape Town. We have not been able to settle which is current.

Under the ICC's Classification of Official Cricket (with effect from 1 July 2026), every match in the Men's Cricket World Cup, its Qualifier, the Qualifier Play-Off and League 2 played under the ICC's standard ODI playing conditions counts as a one-day international, whichever teams are playing.

The 2023 final

Australia beat the hosts India by six wickets, with seven overs to spare, in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on 19 November 2023 (ICC, 19 November 2023). India were bowled out for 240. Australia slipped to 47 for 3 before Travis Head, who made 137 and was Player of the Match, and Marnus Labuschagne, 58 not out, put on 192 for the fourth wicket (ICC; cricket.com.au). The captains were Pat Cummins for Australia and Rohit Sharma for India. The ICC counts six men's World Cup titles for Australia: 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015 and 2023.

Winners by year

1975 to 2019 from the ICC's "story so far" (18 September 2023); the 1975 date from MCC and an ICC search summary; the 1992 date from the MCG timeline; 2023 from the ICC.

How the tournament changed

1975, the first edition. The ICC says the body then called the International Cricket Conference staged the first men's World Cup in England in 1975. The sources differ on when it was agreed: MCC says the Conference agreed to hold it in 1972, while the ICC's own history says the 60-over World Cup in England was approved in 1973. MCC says the event was first billed as an "International Competition", was sponsored by Prudential, and had eight teams (England, Australia, West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka and East Africa) in two groups of four, with 60-over innings under the rules of England's Gillette Cup.

The 1975 final. West Indies made 291 in their 60 overs, with their captain Clive Lloyd scoring 102, and beat Australia by 17 runs; Gary Gilmour took 5 for 48 and five Australians were run out (MCC). The ball count for Lloyd's century differs: MCC says 85 balls, while a Lord's news page, seen only in a search summary, says 82. MCC says Prince Philip, its President that year, presented the trophy, which is now in the MCC Museum.

1987. The ICC says the 1987 tournament in India and Pakistan was the first held outside England and the first played at 50 overs a side, and the last played with a red ball and white clothing.

1992. The ICC says the 1992 World Cup in Australia brought in floodlights, coloured clothing and a white ball, and that South Africa took part on its return to international cricket.

2019. The final at Lord's was tied, and the ICC says it was decided on boundary countback after the Super Over was also tied.

The one-day international itself began in 1971: the MCG timeline dates the first official ODI, Australia v England, to 5 January 1971, played after the third Test was abandoned for rain.

Rankings: the ICC's dated snapshot

In the ICC's annual update of 11 May 2026, the men's ODI table was led by India (118 rating points), New Zealand (113) and Australia (109). The tables move after every series, so treat these as that day's figures only.

For the other men's 50-over ICC event, see the Champions Trophy. How a one-day match is classified and played is on formats, and the longer story of one-day cricket is on one-day and T20 cricket.