After defeating neighbours Canada in the opening match of the tournament, USA went on to shock Pakistan (via a Super Over) in Dallas, before falling to their first defeat against India in New York. A win over Ireland would have secured qualification to the Super Eight stage as one of the top two teams in Group A, but as it stands the one point gained from the abandonment is also enough. USA could have qualified even if they lost to Ireland, but would have needed other results to go their way.

Securing qualification from a group containing three Test-playing nations in India, Pakistan and Ireland is no mean feat for USA, who are competing in their first-ever major men's senior ICC tournament. But their qualification means even more than just reaching the next stage of this edition.

USA have now secured qualification for the next edition of the men's T20 World Cup in 2026, as one of the top eight teams from this year's tournament.

How does USA's qualification affect Ireland?

Qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup happens through multiple paths. India and Sri Lanka were given direct qualification as the host nations. As mentioned previously, the top eight from this edition secure qualification, along with the next two highest-ranked teams not yet qualified.

However, with India being one of those eight, the other seven will qualify along with the next three highest-ranked not yet-qualified sides. These rankings will be taken as they are on June 30, 2024, i.e. after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup.

The seven qualified teams from this tournament so far are Afghanistan, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, USA, one of Bangladesh/Netherlands/Nepal and one of Scotland/England.

For the three spots based on T20I rankings