TST is back! The Soccer Tournament launches $1M women's division spearheaded by ex-USWNT star Heather O'Reilly - while Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney's Wrexham are teased to return in 2024

The tournament, which debuted in 2023, took the soccer world by storm as 32 teams competed for $1 million (£790,000) last summer. Now, TST is set to expand in 2024, by introducing a women's division while also expanding the men's playing field. Eight women's teams - headlined by the U.S. women & O'Reilly - will compete while the men's division will now sport 48 different teams in a winner-take-all scenario. The 2024 edition will return to Cary, North Carolina as $2m (£1.6m) in prize money is set to be handed out in the 7v7 World Championships.

“Where we compare really favorably is the World Cup payout is massive,” Jon Mugar, founder and CEO of The Tournament, told The Equalizer. “But what’s the amount? What’s the accessibility of a World Cup spot? And moreover, what amount of time must you train and compete in order to put yourself in a position to win that? In who else’s hands is your potential to win that money? So, it’s just a much cleaner, quicker, more efficient road. When you boil it down to four hours it really spells out just kind of how massive this opportunity is.”

The 2023 edition of the tournament was ridiculously successful, with the entirety of it being streamed on NBC Sports app Peacock - the same streaming service for the English Premier League in the USA. Now, 2024 sees two divisions launched and a more equal playing field launched. The 2023 tournament saw the likes of ex-NBA star Steve Nash, USMNT legend Clint Dempsey and social media stars Noah Beck and Castro1021 all participate, and come 2024, it's set to be even bigger.

For women's soccer, it's a massive leap forward, and the prize money is nearly comparable to winning the 2023 FIFA World Cup for the players now. For context, the Spanish national team's players were each awarded $270,000 (£210,000) for their August title - in TST, a team of 10 persons (seven starters, three subs) would see each player take home $100,000 (£79,000).

The 2024 edition of the 7v7 World Championships arrives in June, as the summer of soccer awaits us all. Along with TST, the Euros, Copa America and the Olympics will see the sport take center-stage all summer long. For fans, it's going to be a tough time to walk away from the screen, but the anticipation of it all might be worth it.