Cult heroes Ricardo Vaz Tê and Mauro Zárate will represent 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.
Vaz Tê, whose goal famously secured victory in the 2012 EFL Play-Off final, and Zárate, who scored a number of eye-catching goals in Claret and Blue, will form part of the Hammers’ squad in North Carolina.
There, the Irons will be among 48 teams featuring legends, sportspeople, celebrities and influencers from all over the world.
West Ham United’s TST squad is led by player-coach Anton Ferdinand and actor and Irons superfan Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and they have been drawn in Group G alongside La Liga’s Villarreal CF, Tenfifteen FC and Brown Ballers FC.
Both 38, Vaz Tê and Zárate proved popular with the Claret and Blue Army during their respective careers in east London.
Born in Portugal, Vaz Tê broke through as a teenager at Bolton Wanderers, then impressed at Barnsley before being reunited with his manager Sam Allardyce at the Boleyn Ground in January 2012. His 12 goals in 18 appearances, including a hat-trick against Brighton & Hove Albion and that historic Wembley winner against Blackpool, ensured his place in West Ham folklore.
A FIFA World Youth Championship winner with Argentina in 2007, Zárate won the domestic double in his homeland with Boca Juniors and dazzled with his unique skills in the Premier League with Birmingham City and West Ham, and Italy’s Serie A with Lazio and Fiorentina. He played 29 times for the Hammers, scoring spectacular goals against Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Chelsea, among others.
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.
