The Soccer Tournament
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, North Carolina, USA, 4-9 June 2025
West Ham United return to North Carolina, USA, this week, to take part in The Soccer Tournament (TST), a $1million, winner-takes-all 7v7 world championship event.
The Hammers are one of 48 teams from around the world competing between 4-9 June at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary for the high-stakes prize and the right to be crowned TST champions.
Having previously taken part in the inaugural TST in 2023, the Irons will this time be led by respected trainer and mentor Dillon Vedral and Club legend Anton Ferdinand as player-coach, together with a talented squad that’s been assembled from the worlds of sport, screen and social media.
We will be joined in North Carolina by teams representing British clubs AFC Bournemouth, Hashtag United, Plymouth Argyle and Wrexham, as well as sides hailing from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, and representing the Caribbean and South Asia.
2023 winners Newtown Pride FC of Connecticut and 2024 champions La Bombonera from Delaware are both in the field, while a 16-team women’s tournament will also take place, following the success of the inaugural competition in 2024, with former USWNT star-led US Women looking to defend their title.
As the countdown to the beginning of the competition continues, read on for everything you need to know ahead of our opening fixture against Brown Ballers FC on Wednesday...
How It Works…
TST will start with men's bracket group play on 4-5 June (Wednesday-Thursday), while women's group play will follow, taking place on 5-6 June (Thursday-Friday).
The men's knockout rounds will begin with the Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches on 6 June (Friday).
Quarter-finals and semi-finals for both the men's and women's brackets are scheduled for 7-8 June (Saturday-Sunday).
The event will conclude on 9 June (Monday) with a thrilling, winner-takes-all championship double-header for both the men's and women's events.
TST is truly one of a kind and has a number of different rules, including Target Score Time: The game must end on a goal!
This is one of the many unique features of TST. Following the conclusion of the two 20-minute halves, the teams will enter an untimed period to determine the winner. The official winner will be determined by the first team that reaches a predetermined target score.
In terms of squads, teams can have up to 18 players on the roster and seven players on the field, including the goalkeeper, while there are unlimited substitutions throughout the game and during any part of the match.
For more information, click HERE.