Italy have scripted history by securing a maiden berth in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, despite their nine-wicket loss to the Netherlands in the final match of the European Qualifiers on Friday at the Sportpark Westvliet, The Hague.
This marks the first time the Italian men’s cricket team will feature at a senior ICC world event—an unprecedented achievement in the nation’s cricketing journey.
The breakthrough came during the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier 2025, where Italy stunned more established sides with their clinical performances. Notably, they notched up convincing wins over Guernsey and a major scalp in Scotland, one of Europe’s strongest associate teams. With those victories, Italy became the 13th team to confirm qualification for the 2026 tournament.
