West Ham United are back at The Soccer Tournament (TST) with a point to prove, and a squad built to go all the way.
Having competed in the inaugural edition in 2023, the Hammers return to the $1 million, winner-takes-all, 7v7 world championship with a more focused set-up second time around.
Player-Coach Anton Ferdinand leads the squad once again, but this time he’s not just relying on experience, he’s brought reinforcements who are well versed in this fast-paced format.
“We were underprepared last time,” Ferdinand admitted at a press conference on the eve of the tournament. “A lot of older players, like myself, had been retired for four or five years already. We were coming up against young players who play seven-a-side week in, week out. That was very, very difficult. But this time, we've come in better shape.”
That shape includes proven seven-a-side specialists and ex-pros like Mauro Zárate. The former Argentina U20 World Cup winner is no stranger to this format, having won the Copa Potrero, a major seven-a-side tournament in Argentina, last year. The competition was organised by his teammate from that 2007 World Cup-winning side, Sergio Agüero. Fittingly, both scored in the final almost 20 years ago, and now, will both be lacing up at TST.
“I’ve played this format before,” Zárate explained. “I have a team called La Crema back home. We played in a tournament Sergio Agüero organised and played with his Selección Potrero team. It’s very different to eleven-a-side football. It’s fast, intense, and you have to be physically ready.
“The main thing is to go far, get through the group, and then play against the best. That’s the idea.”
Joining them are other West Ham fan favourites such as James Collins and Ricardo Vaz Tê, who famously fired the Hammers to promotion in 2012, along with a whole host of seven-a-side talent. It's a blend that Ferdinand believes gives the side a serious chance.
“You have to understand seven-a-side football to even think about winning the million-dollar jackpot,” he said. “We’ve got players now who do. And most importantly, they understand what it means to wear the West Ham shirt, to wear it with pride.”
“If you don’t believe in yourself, you’ll never achieve anything,” Ferdinand added. “I’ve got that tattooed on me: ‘Believe to achieve’. I think we’ve got a team that believes.”
West Ham kick off their group-stage campaign against Brown Ballers FC on Wednesday 4 June at 9.30am EST (2.30pm BST), live on the Club's official YouTube channel. They will then face Villarreal CF and Tenfifteen FC in matches that will also be streamed for fans outside the USA, while ESPNU will carry those games for domestic viewers.
The top two from each group, plus the eight best third-place sides, progress to the knockout rounds. It all builds toward the $1 million final, set for Monday 9 June at 8.30pm EST (1.30am BST, Tuesday 10 June).
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.
