LONDON, England: In 2023, America's Major League Baseball is set to return to London for the first time since 2019, after an announcement this week that the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will play a two-game series on 24th and 25th June, 2023, at London Stadium.

The games between the Central NL rivals were supposed to be played in London in 2020, but they were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The Cardinals are excited and honored to be a part of the London Series next year. The Cardinals-Cubs rivalry is one of the best in sports, and it will be exciting to bring it to Europe for a new audience to experience," said Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr.

MLB matches last took place in London in 2019 when the New York Yankees played the Boston Red Sox in June at London Stadium, the first regular-season games ever played in Europe.

"The MLB London Series between the Cubs and Cardinals has been in the works for years now, and we are thrilled to finally be able to bring one of baseball's biggest rivalries to fans abroad in 2023," added Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts.

The 2023 London Series is part of an international slate that was approved in the March labor agreement between MLB and the players' association.

It also calls for London games in 2024 and 2026, the first games ever held in France in 2025, annual Mexico City games from 2023-26, an Asian opener in 2024 and a Tokyo opener in 2025.

In a statement, London Mayor Sadiq Khan noted, "These games will be a great opportunity to once again showcase the London Stadium as a multi-use venue and an asset to the capital. The St Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs are two of the best supported clubs in baseball, and I know they will receive a fantastic reception next summer here in the sporting capital of the world."