MLP Nations Cup: Eight Regional Teams Open the Pickleball World Championships

Major League Pickleball is taking its co-ed team format international. The inaugural MLP Nations Cup runs from 30 October to 1 November 2026 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, just outside Dallas, and serves as the official kickoff to the Pickleball World Championships in Texas.

Who's playing

Eight regional teams make up the field:

• USA
• Canada
• Asia International
• Asia Domestic
• Europe-West
• Europe-East
• Latin America
• Australia

The split between Asia International and Asia Domestic is worth watching. The Asia Domestic roster draws on players from China, India, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei, a sign of how fast the professional game is growing across the region.

How it works

The event runs over three days. The first two are round-robin group play. On the final day, the top teams from each group move into a single-elimination bracket to decide the first Nations Cup champion.

Why it matters

MLP's team format, where men and women share a lineup and every game counts, has been one of the sport's biggest growth stories in the US. Putting national and regional pride on the line gives fans outside America a team to follow, and gives rising international players a stage alongside the established stars.

We'll recap the results once the bracket is decided. If the Nations Cup has you itching to play, browse the paddles we carry in Dubai, or compare two side by side.

Sources: Major League Pickleball, Pickleball.com, The Kitchen.