The WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup is coming to Dallas for the first time. Big D will host Group C, one of three in the group stage of the tournament with games being played from Aug. 29 through Sept. 2. at The Village Dallas. 

The U.S. has hosted World Cup games just six times in the tournament’s history that dates back 42 years. This prestigious event will feature six teams from the USA, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, and the Philippines who have all earned their spots through continental qualification tournaments. 

The USA comes in ranked No. 1. Richard Baker, WBSC Media and Communications Director, detailed the new tournament format: “In the past, we would have 12 teams in one location, and the event would occur every four years. Now we’ve got a four-year cycle with 18 teams participating, split into three groups of six.”

Dallas is the third host city in this new structure, following Group A in São Paulo, Brazil, and Group B in China. This group stage serves as the opening round of the World Cup, with a four-day, 15-game round-robin. The top four teams will advance to the playoffs on the final day, and the top two teams from each group will move on to the Finals which will take place in 2025. “These three groups are part of the group stage, the opening round,” Baker explained. “For each of those group tournaments, two teams will book a ticket to next year’s finals.”