MLP Nations Cup: Full Rosters and Captains Announced for Historic First-Ever International Pickleball Event

Major League Pickleball is taking things to a completely different level. After wrapping what many are calling its most successful season to date, MLP isn’t slowing down. Instead, the league is introducing something the sport has never seen before: a full-blown international team competition where players represent their home countries and regions on the biggest stage pickleball has ever offered.

The MLP Nations Cup is happening October 30 through November 1 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, TX, and it’s set to serve as the official kickoff to the 2026 Pickleball World Championships. Eight elite professional teams, pulling together players from across the globe, will compete for regional bragging rights in what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting events in the sport’s still-young professional history.

The rosters and captains were just announced, and if you’re a pickleball fan in the United States, you’re going to want to pay close attention to Team USA’s lineup, because it is genuinely stacked in a way that should make any American fan feel pretty confident heading into this thing.

What Is the MLP Nations Cup and Why Does It Matter?

If you’re not deeply embedded in the professional pickleball world, here’s the quick and honest breakdown of what’s happening and why it’s actually a big deal. Major League Pickleball is the top professional pickleball league in the United States. It operates similarly to how other team-based professional sports leagues work, with franchises, rosters, and a season format that culminates in a championship. The league has been growing at a remarkable pace, and its recent season broke records in terms of viewership, attendance, and overall engagement with the sport.

The MLP Nations Cup is a brand new concept layered on top of that foundation. Instead of playing for their MLP franchise teams, players from around the world are being grouped together by country or geographic region to compete as national and regional squads. Think of it like a World Cup or a Ryder Cup format, but for pickleball. Players who normally compete against each other during the regular MLP season are now teammates, united by geography and national pride. That shift in dynamic creates a completely different kind of energy, and that’s a big part of what makes this event so compelling from a fan perspective.

The fact that this is also the official kickoff to the 2026 Pickleball World Championships only amplifies the significance. This isn’t a side event or an exhibition. It’s the opening act for a ten-day global celebration of the sport, which signals that professional pickleball is serious about its international ambitions and the long-term vision of pickleball as a global sport. The Pickleball World Championships has already demonstrated massive draw, and adding the Nations Cup as a precursor builds an even grander narrative around the entire event.

The Group A Rosters: Team USA Leads the Way

Group A features four teams, and honestly, it reads like a bracket that any competitive sports fan would find fascinating. The regional diversity alone is impressive. You have Team Asia Domestic, Team Europe West, Team Canada, and then Team USA sitting at the top of the conversation for obvious reasons.

Team Asia Domestic is bringing together players from China, India, Vietnam, and Chinese Taipei. The roster includes Augie Ge from China, Milan Rane representing India, Jonathan Truong from Vietnam, Zoey Wang of Chinese Taipei, Jamie Wei also from Chinese Taipei, and Len Yang from China. Geoffrey Nguyen and Jeff Tsao are co-captaining this squad, and the cross-cultural coordination alone makes this team one of the most interesting storylines of the event. This is a region where pickleball has been growing steadily, and having a unified team competing at this level is a signal of how far the sport has spread internationally.

Team Europe West features players from Spain, Scotland, France, and Belgium. Judit Castillo and Helena Jansen represent Spain, Will MacKinnon brings the Scottish flag, Theo Platel is in for France, Estee Widdershoven hails from Belgium, and DJ Young rounds out the Spanish contingent. Chris Cantino is the captain for this squad, and it’s worth noting that Western Europe has been one of the fastest-growing pickleball markets outside of North America. Having players from five different European nations on one roster creates a fascinating team dynamic that goes beyond just on-court chemistry.

Team Canada is solid and should not be underestimated. Victoria DiMuzio, Blaine Hovenier, Armaan Jiwa Mawji, Layne Sleeth, Ryan Torresin, and Angie Walker form the core of the Canadian squad, with Steve Deakin serving as captain. Canada has quietly developed a genuine competitive pickleball infrastructure, and several of these players have MLP experience that will make them dangerous regardless of the matchup.

And then there’s Team USA. Anna Bright is one of the most recognizable names in professional pickleball, a player who has consistently performed at the highest levels of competition. Ben Johns needs no introduction to anyone who follows the sport even casually. He has long been considered one of the best players in the world, and his presence on this roster alone elevates Team USA’s ceiling dramatically. Kate Fahey, Tyra Black, CJ Klinger, and Will Howells round out the lineup, with Johnny Goldberg serving as captain. This is a group that, on paper, has no obvious weakness, and the combination of experience, elite skill, and competitive pedigree is going to make Team USA one of the tournament favorites regardless of the group or bracket dynamics.

The Group B Rosters: Latin America Is the Team to Watch

Group B is where things get particularly interesting from a global representation standpoint. Japan, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and the Philippines are all represented through Team Asia International, with Rika Fujiwara, Lingwei Kong, Jimmy Liong, Hien Truong, Jack Wong, and Macy Ybanez making up the roster under captain Madeleine Lim. The depth of talent coming out of Asia broadly speaking is something that pickleball observers have been monitoring closely, and this team is a showcase of how international the sport’s top competitive tier has become.

Team Australia brings Sarah Burr, Chris Crouch, Sahra Dennehy, Mitch Hargreaves, Danni-Elle Townsend, and George Wall to the court, with Sange Carter as captain. Australia has a strong sporting culture generally, and its pickleball community has been developing rapidly. This roster has the kind of competitive athleticism you’d expect from a country that produces elite athletes across a wide range of disciplines.

Team Europe East is a fascinating assemblage of Eastern European talent. Mikolaj Biedermann and Daria Walczak represent Poland, Andrei Daescu comes in for Romania, Arwid Dahlin is there for Sweden, Lina Padegimaite brings the Lithuanian flag, and Tina Pisnik competes for Slovenia. Caleb Garrard serves as captain. Eastern Europe is a region where racket sports have deep cultural roots, and the transition of some of that athletic tradition into pickleball has created players who bring genuine competitive intensity to the court.

And then there is Team Latin America, which might be the most exciting roster in the entire tournament outside of Team USA. Nico Acevedo from Chile, Mari Humberg from Brazil, Rafa Lenhard from Brazil, Eric Oncins from Brazil, Alexa Schull representing Puerto Rico, and Charlie Trevino flying the Mexican flag form a lineup that is packed with passion and proven competitive ability. Juan Manuel Benitez is the captain, and the energy this team is going to bring to Brookhaven Country Club is going to be something special. Latin America has produced some of the most dynamic and entertaining pickleball players in recent years, and having them united under one banner for this event is a combination that any serious pickleball fan should be excited about.

Why This Event Is Bigger Than Just the Games Themselves

There’s a bigger picture here that goes beyond wins and losses on the court in Farmers Branch. The MLP Nations Cup represents a genuine philosophical shift in how professional pickleball is positioning itself. For years, the conversation around pickleball’s growth has been largely domestic, centered on American courts, American players, and American audiences. The sport was born in the United States and has thrived here in a way that no one could have predicted even a decade ago.

But the sport has been quietly building a legitimate international footprint. Players from Japan, Brazil, Spain, Poland, the Philippines, and dozens of other countries are now competing at high levels and pushing the sport forward in their home markets. The Nations Cup is an acknowledgment of that reality. It’s MLP saying, explicitly and publicly, that pickleball is a global sport now, and that the league is willing to invest in an international format that celebrates that growth and gives it a competitive stage.

The timing matters too. Attaching this event to the 2026 Pickleball World Championships, which already drew record attendance and viewership, creates a ten-day window of sustained global attention on the sport. That’s not an accident. It’s a calculated effort to build narrative momentum, deepen international fan engagement, and demonstrate to media partners, sponsors, and potential investors that professional pickleball has genuine worldwide appeal.

From a fan experience standpoint, national pride is one of the most powerful forces in sports. It’s the reason the Olympics captivate audiences who may not follow swimming or gymnastics in any other context. When you’re cheering for your country, the emotional stakes feel higher. The Nations Cup is betting on that same dynamic, and given how competitive these rosters look across the board, it’s a bet that seems very well placed.

What to Expect When the Competition Begins

The event runs from Friday, October 30 through Sunday, November 1 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, TX. Tickets are available now, and given the nature of this event as a first-ever competition with this level of roster depth and international scope, getting there in person would be an experience worth having.

On the court, the format will bring together players who are used to competing against each other and force them to collaborate and build chemistry quickly. That’s always an interesting variable in team sports competitions like this, and it’s part of what makes events with this format so unpredictable and watchable. The most talented roster on paper doesn’t always win when chemistry and communication are factors.

Team USA’s combination of Ben Johns, Anna Bright, and the rest of that lineup makes them a clear favorite from a pure talent standpoint. But Team Latin America’s energy and the competitive depth across both groups means that nothing is going to be handed to anyone. Team Canada is experienced and motivated. Team Asia International has players who are deeply hungry to represent their home countries at this level. Team Europe West brings players who have been competing in an increasingly competitive European pickleball market.

This is going to be three days of some of the best pickleball you can watch anywhere in the world, and it’s happening at a moment when the sport is riding genuine momentum coming off record-setting events and a season that proved professional pickleball can command serious attention. The MLP Nations Cup is the right event at exactly the right time, and it’s the kind of bold swing that a growing sport needs to take to announce itself on the world stage.

Keep your eyes on that Team Latin America roster. And if you’re American, you’ve got plenty of reason to be excited about what Team USA is bringing to the court. Either way, this is going to be something worth watching.