# Country Pickleball Tournaments Major League Pickleball Adds an Eight-Team Nations Cup in Dallas By Adam Harrie | Written with AI assistance | Published 2026-10-30 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/country-pickleball-tournaments References: [forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/toddboss/2026/10/28/inaugural-major-league-nations-cup-kicks-off-the-big-professional-pickleball-association-worlds-week-in-dallas)  Major League Pickleball is adding the inaugural 'Nations Cup' to its Worlds week in Dallas, giving top [pro players](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pro-level-court-paddles) an Olympic-style team event before the main championship bracket. The format shifts the focus from individual matchups to country-based squads, with the league using the new competition to frame pickleball as a team sport on a bigger stage. The event features eight teams, with group play running Friday and Saturday, followed by a knockout on Sunday for the top sides from each group. That structure gives players another high-pressure format to test lineups and gives viewers a faster, country-versus-country storyline to follow across the weekend. Placed ahead of the [World Championships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tiered-event-classes), the Nations Cup broadens what a pickleball season can look like without changing the core draw of elite play. It also gives the league a template it can reuse for future international events, helping turn a [niche pro circuit](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pickleball-canada) into something with clearer national stakes. Image Credit: Forbes ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.3/10 - Popularity: 33% | Activity: 25% | Freshness: 100% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Market](https://www.trendhunter.com/market) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Nation-based Sports Formats:** Country-versus-country structures can transform emerging leagues into more emotionally resonant properties with clearer fan identities and sponsor narratives. - **Compressed Tournament Storytelling:** Weekend-long group and knockout formats create faster competitive arcs that suit streaming audiences, social highlights, and event-based media packaging. - **Team-centric Pickleball:** Reframing pickleball around squads and lineups expands the sport beyond individual matchups into strategic roster building and recurring team loyalties. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Professional Sports:** New international team events give leagues a pathway to build global stakes, diversify competition calendars, and increase broadcast appeal. - **Sports Media:** Short-format national rivalries provide more digestible storylines for live coverage, highlight distribution, and audience engagement across platforms. - **Sports Sponsorship:** National team branding opens additional inventory for brands seeking affiliation with patriotic fandom, destination events, and fast-growing participation sports. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Professional Grade Pickleball Courts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/citypickle.md) - [Padel Competition Expansions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/padel-cups.md) - [Pickleball Club Flagships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/padel-pickleball-club.md) - [Official Pickleball Balls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/official-ball.md) - [THC Seltzer-Inspried Pickleball Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/torch-beverages.md) - [Hydration-Focused Pickleball Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/waterdrop-filter.md) - [First-Of-Its-Kind National Pickleball Leagues](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/national-pickleball-league.md) - [Competitive Esports Frameworks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/esports-nations-cup.md) - [Optimized National Pickleball Leagues](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/national-pickleball-league-australia.md)