MLP Announces Its First Global Tournament: Here's What the Nations Cup Is All About
Eight teams, six continents represented, and the official kickoff to the 2026 Pickleball World Championships — everything we know so far
Major League Pickleball just took a step that completely changes the conversation about where this sport is headed. This is no longer just city franchises fighting for a national title — now there are flags involved.
The league announced the MLP Nations Cup, its first truly international tournament, scheduled for October 30 through November 1 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, Texas. And it's not a standalone event — it will serve as the official kickoff to the 2026 Pickleball World Championships, a global celebration of the sport stretching across ten days.
How it works
The format is built for maximum intensity from day one. Friday and Saturday, all eight teams play round-robin, battling for positioning heading into Sunday. That final day — Championship Sunday — the top teams face off in a single-elimination bracket until one team is crowned the first-ever MLP Nations Cup Champion.
Eight regions, one trophy
Here's the part that really changes the game: instead of city-named teams, this time entire regions of the world are competing. The eight teams represent: USA, Canada, two teams from Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South America, and Australia.
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And this isn't a thrown-together selection. Each team is led by some of the sport's most respected players and ambassadors, combining top-tier talent, regional pride, and international rivalries that pickleball has rarely had the chance to showcase until now.
The rosters we know so far
Of the eight teams, four have already revealed their lineups:
Team Latin America — featuring two names you probably already recognize if you follow our coverage: Nico Acevedo (the story behind one of the biggest upsets at the recent Veolia Arizona Open) and Eric Oncins, who just last week competed as Noe Khlif's doubles partner, our September cover athlete. Rounding out the roster are Mari Humberg, Rafa Lenhard, Alexa Schull, and Charlie Trevino.
Team Australia — led by Danni-Elle Townsend, alongside Sarah Burr, Chris Crouch, Sahra Dennehy, Mitch Reaves, and George Wall.
Team Asia Int'l — a genuinely pan-Asian mix with Rika Fujiwara (Japan), Lingwei Kong (China), Jimmy Liong (Malaysia), Hien Nong, Jack Wong, and Macy Ybañez (Philippines).
Team Europe-East — and here's another direct connection to DINK: Lina Padegimaite, our June cover athlete, is part of this roster alongside Mikolaj Biedermann, Andrei Daescu, Arwid Dahlin, Tina Pisnik, and Daria Walczak.
The remaining four teams — USA, Canada, Western Europe, and the second Asian squad — haven't been revealed yet. Not even MLP's own official page has them posted: as of this writing, the event's FAQ section still says "team rosters will be announced soon."
Why this matters
It's not an exaggeration to say this announcement signals where MLP wants to go as a business, not just as a competition. Building a tournament around national identity — something sports like soccer or tennis have leveraged for decades through events like the World Cup or the Davis Cup — is a direct bet on generating that kind of emotional connection that makes people watch a match not just for the level of play, but for who's representing their flag.
And the framing isn't accidental: by turning this tournament into the official kickoff of the Pickleball World Championships, MLP is positioning itself at the center of the sport's global conversation, right at the same moment we're talking about leagues like the IPBL in India, expansion into Australia, and pickleball's accelerating growth outside the United States.
What's next
Important pieces are still missing: the four remaining rosters, and so far no coach has been announced for any of the eight teams. Tickets are already available through Tixr, with Courtside Pass and VIP Pass options, and full coverage will stream on PickleballTV and its app — with additional broadcast details still TBA.
We'll be following every roster announcement closely, especially watching for any other familiar names for our readers.
Eight teams, six continents represented, and the official kickoff to the 2026 Pickleball World Championships — everything we know so far
Major League Pickleball just took a step that completely changes the conversation about where this sport is headed. This is no longer just city franchises fighting for a national title — now there are flags involved.
The league announced the MLP Nations Cup, its first truly international tournament, scheduled for October 30 through November 1 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, Texas. And it's not a standalone event — it will serve as the official kickoff to the 2026 Pickleball World Championships, a global celebration of the sport stretching across ten days.
How it works
The format is built for maximum intensity from day one. Friday and Saturday, all eight teams play round-robin, battling for positioning heading into Sunday. That final day — Championship Sunday — the top teams face off in a single-elimination bracket until one team is crowned the first-ever MLP Nations Cup Champion.
Eight regions, one trophy
Here's the part that really changes the game: instead of city-named teams, this time entire regions of the world are competing. The eight teams represent: USA, Canada, two teams from Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South America, and Australia.
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
And this isn't a thrown-together selection. Each team is led by some of the sport's most respected players and ambassadors, combining top-tier talent, regional pride, and international rivalries that pickleball has rarely had the chance to showcase until now.
The rosters we know so far
Of the eight teams, four have already revealed their lineups:
Team Latin America — featuring two names you probably already recognize if you follow our coverage: Nico Acevedo (the story behind one of the biggest upsets at the recent Veolia Arizona Open) and Eric Oncins, who just last week competed as Noe Khlif's doubles partner, our September cover athlete. Rounding out the roster are Mari Humberg, Rafa Lenhard, Alexa Schull, and Charlie Trevino.
Team Australia — led by Danni-Elle Townsend, alongside Sarah Burr, Chris Crouch, Sahra Dennehy, Mitch Reaves, and George Wall.
Team Asia Int'l — a genuinely pan-Asian mix with Rika Fujiwara (Japan), Lingwei Kong (China), Jimmy Liong (Malaysia), Hien Nong, Jack Wong, and Macy Ybañez (Philippines).
Team Europe-East — and here's another direct connection to DINK: Lina Padegimaite, our June cover athlete, is part of this roster alongside Mikolaj Biedermann, Andrei Daescu, Arwid Dahlin, Tina Pisnik, and Daria Walczak.
The remaining four teams — USA, Canada, Western Europe, and the second Asian squad — haven't been revealed yet. Not even MLP's own official page has them posted: as of this writing, the event's FAQ section still says "team rosters will be announced soon."
Why this matters
It's not an exaggeration to say this announcement signals where MLP wants to go as a business, not just as a competition. Building a tournament around national identity — something sports like soccer or tennis have leveraged for decades through events like the World Cup or the Davis Cup — is a direct bet on generating that kind of emotional connection that makes people watch a match not just for the level of play, but for who's representing their flag.
And the framing isn't accidental: by turning this tournament into the official kickoff of the Pickleball World Championships, MLP is positioning itself at the center of the sport's global conversation, right at the same moment we're talking about leagues like the IPBL in India, expansion into Australia, and pickleball's accelerating growth outside the United States.
What's next
Important pieces are still missing: the four remaining rosters, and so far no coach has been announced for any of the eight teams. Tickets are already available through Tixr, with Courtside Pass and VIP Pass options, and full coverage will stream on PickleballTV and its app — with additional broadcast details still TBA.
We'll be following every roster announcement closely, especially watching for any other familiar names for our readers.
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