The Soccer Tournament returning to Cary, adding $1M women's tournament

Cary, N.C. — The Soccer Tournament is returning to Cary, and the 2024 edition will now include an eight-team women's tournament.

The Soccer Tournament, or TST, will once again take place at WakeMed Soccer Park from June 5-10.

The 7v7 event will reward separate $1M winner-take-all prizes for the winning teams in the men's and women's tournaments. According to the TST press release, the tournament "immediately becomes the highest stakes women's professional soccer event in the world."

Heather O'Reilly and a club of former U.S. Women's National Team members will compete in the women's tournament, which starts on June 7. O'Reilly starred for UNC, the USWNT and the NC Courage.

'(The Triangle) is obviously an area that's very much up and coming in the one area that we personally want to invest," TST CEO John Mugar told WRAL.

The men's tournament will increase from 32 to 48 teams and begins on June 5.

The semi-professional Newtown Pride FC based in Sandyhook, Connecticut won the inaugural TST.

According to a TST official, 35,000 fans attended last year's four-day tournament. It also attracted celebrities from other sports. NBA star Chris Paul is a tournament co-owner and Steve Nash and Chad Ochocinco even participated in the event.

"We're in conversations with some very exciting personalities and teams that people will have heard of and I think will surprise a lot of people," Mugar said of the 2024 event.

On the first night of last year's competition, a match between Dallas United and West Ham was suspended due to "allegations of use or intent to use a racial slur." An investigation from TST organizers found that Dallas United violated the tournament's code of conduct.