Rob Manfred Says Mets, Phillies to Play 2024 London Series; MLB Planning Paris Series

Major League Baseball is looking to add more international games to its regular-season schedule as soon as 2025.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Friday the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies will play in London in 2024, and the league is in the "planning stages" of having a 2025 series in Paris.

MLB is also looking at Japan, Taiwan and Korea as host-sites for series over the next few years, with areas in Latin America also being explored for future games.

Manfred's announcement about next year's London Series comes ahead of this year's series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs at London Stadium.

The Mets and Phillies have engaged in one of MLB's most intense rivalries since New York's inaugural season in 1962. They have played 1,055 games all-time, with the Phillies holding a 541-513-1 advantage. Both teams have two World Series titles in their franchise history.

This year marks the first time MLB has been back to England since 2019 when the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox played the first London Series. The Cardinals-Cubs series was originally scheduled to be played in 2020 but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May, London mayor Saqid Khan announced an agreement with Manfred and MLB for regular-season games in the city in 2023, 2024 and 2026.

Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci reported last month MLB is "committed" to playing games in Paris during the 2025 season, but it's "unlikely" the Yankees and Red Sox would be the matchup because they were featured in the first London Series.

Manfred also said on Friday MLB will play another series in Mexico at some point. The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants played a two-game series at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium in Mexico City from April 29-30.

Australia, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico and England are the countries outside of the United States and Canada that have previously hosted regular-season MLB games.