West Ham United’s famous Claret and Blue will return to North Carolina, USA, this June, to take part in The Soccer Tournament (TST), a $1million, winner-takes-all 7v7 world championship event.
The Hammers will be 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.
The Irons, who previously took part in the inaugural TST in 2023, will again be led by Club legend Anton Ferdinand as player-coach and actor and lifelong supporter Hero Fiennes Tiffin, with their teammates from the worlds of sport, screen and social media to be announced over the coming weeks.
Ferdinand said: “We are going there to try and win it and if we can win it enjoying ourselves, fantastic. If not, as long as we represent the badge in the right way, that’s what matters to me. The standard of play over there in 2023 was very, very high, so we know what to expect now, and the team that are playing will 100% know what they’ve got to do.
“A lot of places I go in the world, I always bump into West Ham fans. And it shows you how big we are as a football club, and that was no different to when we went to TST last time.
“West Ham don’t go places not to try and win things, and we’re going to try and win this competition. It’s fun. It’s quick. The level is very, very high, and our Club has entered into it to win it!”
TST CEO Jon Mugar said: “We’re excited to have West Ham back at TST. They brought a lot of excitement to our inaugural event and have been focused on winning TST ever since.”
The Hammers will be joined in North Carolina by teams representing British clubs AFC Bournemouth, Hashtag United, Plymouth Argyle and Wrexham, and sides hailing from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland and representing the Caribbean and South Asia.
Inaugural winners Newtown Pride FC of Connecticut and 2024 champions La Bombonera from Delaware are both in the field.
The participating teams will be filled with former professional footballers and sportsmen, as well as musicians, actors, social media influencers and celebrities.
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.
To find out more about TST or to join the ticket waiting list, visit TheTournament.com/TST, or follow The Soccer Tournament on Twitter and Instagram at @TST7v7.
