The USA have sealed the final berth for the 2026 ICC U19 men’s World Cup, becoming the 16th team to confirm their spot in the tournament to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Led by wicketkeeper-batter Arjun Mahesh, the USA side dominated the Americas Qualifier on home soil in Rydal, Georgia, clinching qualification with a game to spare after an unbeaten run in the double round-robin competition.
USA set the tone with a 65-run win over Canada before easing past Bermuda and Argentina to take control at the halfway stage. They went on to defeat Bermuda again on match-day four, before bowling out Argentina for just 34 and cruising to a nine-wicket victory that ensured an unassailable lead at the top of the table.
Amrinder Singh Gill stood out with the bat, scoring 199 runs in three innings, while spinners Ansh Rai and Sahir Bhatia picked up seven wickets each to spearhead the bowling unit.
The 2026 U19 Men’s World Cup will feature 16 teams. Ten sides qualified automatically, including hosts Zimbabwe, defending champions Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the West Indies.
They will be joined by regional qualifiers Tanzania, USA, Afghanistan, Japan and Scotland.
The teams will be divided into four groups of four. The top three from each group will advance to the Super Six stage, carrying forward points from matches against other Super Six qualifiers.
Each team will then play two cross-group games, with the top two from each Super Six group progressing to the semi-finals, and the winners meeting in the final.