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West Indies have missed out on direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup and will now have to take the qualifiers route. Afghanistan’s 92-run win over Ireland sealed their fate, confirming Afghanistan’s direct spot. The setback extends West Indies’ struggles, with the two-time champions also missing direct qualification for the 2019 and 2023 World Cups.

Two-time champions West Indies have missed out on direct qualification for the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup. Their fate was sealed after Afghanistan beat Ireland by 92 runs in the rain-affected second ODI at Bready Cricket Club on Friday. The result confirmed Afghanistan’s direct entry and ended West Indies’ hopes of breaking into the qualification spots before the September 30, 2026 cut-off.

The setback means West Indies will have to go through the qualifiers once again to reach the 50-over showpiece. The 2027 World Cup will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November, with matches scheduled across 12 venues. South Africa and Zimbabwe have already secured automatic qualification as co-hosts.

The remaining seven direct spots will be decided by the ICC ODI rankings, with the cut-off date set for September 30, 2026. West Indies are currently 10th in the rankings, behind Afghanistan in eighth and Bangladesh in ninth. With Zimbabwe already guaranteed a place as hosts, West Indies cannot move into the required top-nine bracket before the deadline.

This will be the third consecutive World Cup where West Indies have failed to secure direct qualification. They made it through the qualifiers for the 2019 tournament but suffered a major setback in 2023, when they failed to qualify for the World Cup in India. The latest blow underlines the decline of a team that once dominated the global 50-over game.