Building off the enthusiasm of the inaugural The Soccer Tournament in 2023, the TST returns in 2024 – with an expanded format, plenty of star power, and all the makings for a thrilling second chapter.
The 2023 TST was a splashy entrance into the world of soccer for TBT Enterprises, the organization that’s hosted the wildly successful The Basketball Tournament (TBT) every year since 2014. With WakeMed Soccer Park as its location, the TST proved it can own its piece of the summer sports landscape.
Of course, Soccer.com was on site to provide wall-to-wall, pitch-to-pitch coverage of the event, including the championship-winning “Target Score Time” goal from Newtown Pride FC as it clinched victory over runner-up SLC FC.
TST Configuration
Spread out over six summer days, the 2024 version of the TST will feature two $1 million winner-take-all 7v7 tournaments. Originally launched with 32 teams in its debut, the 2024 TST has added to the excitement by splitting the event off into two separate tournaments, featuring 48 teams in its Men’s Tournament and 8 teams in its Women’s Tournament.
Due to the eye-popping dollar amount, it’s worth mentioning again: the winning team of BOTH tournaments will each receive $1 million
TST 2024 Dates
June 5-10 (Wednesday-Monday)
The Location
Once again: WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina
TST Schedule
Wednesday, June 5:
Session 1: Day Session; Men’s Group Stage, Round 1; 24 matches
Session 2: Evening Session; Men’s Group Stage, Round 2; 24 matches
Thursday, June 6:
Session 3: Day Session; Men’s Group Stage, Round 3; 24 matches
Friday, June 7:
Session 4: Day Session
- Men’s Knockout Round of 32 (16 teams)
- Women’s Group Stage, Round 1; 12 matches
Session 5: Evening Session
- Men’s Knockout Round of 32 (16 teams)
- Women’s Group Stage, Round 2; 12 matches
Saturday, June 8:
Session 6: Day Session; Men’s Knockout Round of 16 (8 matches)
Session 7: Evening Session
- Men’s Quarterfinals
- Women’s Group Stage, Round 3; 8 matches
Sunday, June 9:
Session 8: Day Session; Women’s Semifinals; 2 matches
Session 9: Evening Session; Men’s Semifinals; 2 matches
Monday, June 10:
Session 10: Championship – Men’s and Women’s, with $1 million on the line
The Teams
The first of 48 teams for the Men’s Tournament has been announced: Nani FC, which will be led by none other than for Manchester United and Portugal national team winger Nani. Mario Balotelli, Nani’s teammate with Adana Demirspor (a Turkish first-division club), will also field a team at the 2024 TST. During his prime, Balotelli was a world-class striker for several top-flight clubs, including Inter Milan, Manchester City, AC Milan, and Liverpool.
Inaugural TST Rules
Target Score Time: The game must end on a goal!
- This is one of the unique, game-altering 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.
- “The Target Score” will be defined as one more goal than the leading team’s goal total after the two halves.
- For example: if Team A leads Team B by a score of 5-3 at the end of 40 minutes of game action, the Target Score will be set at 6. The first team to reach 6 goals wins. So, Team A would need to score just one more goal in order to win, while Team B would need to score three unanswered goals to be declared winner.
Rosters
- Teams can have up to 18 players on the roster and 7 players on the field, including the goalkeeper
Subs
- Unlimited substitutions throughout the game
- Substitutions can be made on the fly during any part of the match
Game time
- Each game consists of two 20-minute halves and 2-minute halftime break
- The game clock stops only for official’s timeouts and injuries
