Dillon Vedral will take charge of West Ham United at The Soccer Tournament (TST), the $1 million, winner-takes-all, 7v7 world championship taking place in the United States in June, after being confirmed as Head Coach.
Vedral, a highly respected trainer and mentor, has dedicated his career to shaping the next generation of elite football talent, having transitioned to coaching following a successful playing career in which he competed for the University of Central Arkansa at NCAA Division I level, featured in US domestic leagues such as the Premier Development League (PDL) and Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL), and trained internationally with clubs in Belgium and Germany.
Born in Dallas, Texas, Vedral began his coaching journey with FC Dallas Youth, where he spent six years as a head coach, before he founded his own academy - Vedral Soccer Academy (VSA) - in 2014, offering youth athletes, college players and professionals specialised training.
Away from the VSA, Vedral served as the USA head coach for the Kings League 7v7 World Cup in Milan, Italy, in January 2025, where his side lost on penalties to Morocco in the quarter-finals. Now, he will lead the Hammers' management team for this summer's TST tournament in North Carolina.
As the days tick down to the beginning of the 48-team competition, that will feature legends, sportspeople, celebrities and influencers from all over the world, Vedral shared his pride, enthusiasm and excitement at being named West Ham Head Coach.
He said: “It's incredible to represent such a massive Club like West Ham United, and I'm ready to do that as best I can.
“I've been a participant in TST in the past, and I was also a fan last year watching, so I'm excited to get back to it. It's a massive opportunity for me to represent an English Premier League team, and it’s something that not many people get the opportunity to do, so I'm not going to take that lightly.
“I've had a West Ham scarf on my wall back home from when I was ten years old, so I'll be taking it with me to North Carolina as well!
“What I bring to the table is obviously passion, but very much discipline as well. I'm looking forward to getting a team together that's really disciplined on the defensive end, but I also allow all my players to be very creative on the offensive side, too.
“TST has grown massively in the States, and some of the top players are more and more interested. It's even drawing attraction and attention from our current pro players from Major League Soccer.
“It’s an exciting game, and the format is very important. And once our players get it down and understand what the format's like, I know we have the depth to really be exciting and go far in the tournament.
“We're looking to go win the Championship, but most importantly, give these players an opportunity to showcase their ability.
“I think the fans are really going to see some players that are exciting and very quick on the transition, and I expect a lot of fantastic goals. Every game is going to be exciting, and we're going to go out, and I think turn some heads.”
West Ham's TST squad will be led by player-coach Anton Ferdinand, actor and lifelong fan Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Irons icons James Collins, Ricardo Vaz Tê and Mauro Zárate, with the team having been drawn in Group G alongside La Liga’s Villarreal CF, Tenfifteen FC and Brown Ballers FC.
Keep an eye on our channels for further player announcements before the big TST kick-off against Brown Ballers FC at 9.30am EST (2.30pm BST) on Wednesday 4 June.
Our second group-stage match will take place later the same day, against Villarreal CF, kicking-off at 5.30pm EST (10.30pm BST). Our third group-stage game, against Tenfifteen FC, is scheduled for Thursday 5 June at 10am EST (3pm BST).
All three of West Ham’s group-stage games will be shown live on the Club's official YouTube channel, with streaming available to all fans outside the USA for the Villarreal and Tenfifteen fixtures, and to supporters worldwide for the Brown Ballers clash. Those in the US will be able to watch the Villarreal and Tenfifteen matches live on ESPNU.
The top two teams from each group and the eight third-place teams with the highest points totals (32 total teams) will advance to the knockout stage, which will commence on 6 June. Round of 16 and quarter-final games will both be played on Saturday 7 June. Semi-finals will take place on the evening of Sunday 8 June and the $1 million championship game at 8.30pm EST on Monday 9 June (1.30am BST on Tuesday 10 June) on ESPNU.
In addition to West Ham, TST’s 48-team men’s field also includes international clubs Atlético Madrid, AFC Bournemouth, Borussia Dortmund, Wrexham and Cagliari Calcio.
Additional celebrity participants in this year’s tournament include Sergio Agüero (Seleccion Potrero), Nani (Nani FC) and former NFL star and podcaster Pat McAfee (The CONCAFA SC), among many others.
To find out more about TST or to purchase tickets, visit TheTournament.com/TST, or follow The Soccer Tournament on X and Instagram at @TST7v7.
