The final day of the Europe Qualifier for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 was a dramatic affair, with all four teams in contention. In the end, it was Netherlands and Italy who sealed their spots for next year’s tournament in India and Sri Lanka.
For Italy, this marks a historic first-ever qualification for the T20 World Cup.
Italy posted 134/7 in their must-win match, with Benjamin Manenti playing a steady hand and Grant Stewart finishing with a late surge. Despite a top effort from Roelof van der Merwe (3/15) and Kyle Klein, Italy ensured they stretched the match into the 17th over, just enough to meet the qualification criteria, even as Netherlands chased down the total comfortably.
In a twist, Jersey missed out on qualification despite beating Scotland for the first time ever—a huge moment for them, but not enough to book a World Cup ticket.
So far, 15 teams have qualified for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Three more will qualify through the Asia EAP Qualifier, and two from the Africa Qualifier.
