“I wasn’t expecting TST (The Soccer Tournament) to even be in my life, and now it is,” Heather O’Reilly told The Athletic in June. She has been part of this global 7v7 winner-takes-all tournament since 2023. This was at a time when the women’s division hadn’t even begun, as she entered an all-women team in the tournament, which otherwise almost exclusively consisted of men. Though the debut was little more than a flop pancake, the following editions — during which the women’s division was introduced — saw her rope in Carli Lloyd and secure two consecutive victories, a million-dollar prize, and, not to mention, the fandom it has garnered.

It indicated that there’s even more room for entertainment and overall growth. That only explains why the US Soccer Federation decided to join hands with The Soccer Tournament. Having unveiled a new strategic partnership on Tuesday, July 8, both organizations have committed to working together on the event’s growth, making significant efforts to drive global expansion, broaden access to the game, and keep the next generation of soccer fans engaged.

“This new partnership reflects that we recognize new formats of soccer help to grow interest and participation in the game,” said U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson in a statement shared by the USSF. “We’re excited to work with TST and support new soccer competitions— staying true to our mission of working in service to soccer.”

The majority of the reason behind this collaboration is to enhance the TST’s ability to explore the untapped audiences, not just for the sake of the friendly tournament, but also to work on the overall growth, creating new opportunities in terms of increasing fan engagement, new participation, and more importantly, bringing game to everyone, everywhere.

Well, it is true that since its launch, the growth trajectory of TST has been upwards and onwards only. Yet, the involvement of US Soccer will help the tournament further gain traction. Notably, also expressing his delight over the involvement of the USSF in expanding the soccer ecosystem was TST CEO Jon Mugar.

“There is extraordinary demand from both fans and participants eager to experience our festival. This partnership will help us meet that demand and continue building a high-profile pathway that showcases young talent, brings star players back into meaningful competition, and excites new fans,” said Mugar.

Some recent examples of U.S. Soccer’s commitment to bringing innovations to soccer competitions include their rallying efforts for the Brandi Chastain Cup, the Hank Steinbrecher Cup, and this year’s boosted investment in the U.S. Open Cup. Rest assured, it is bound to offer just more than that!

What will US Soccer bring to the table for TST?

The key plan for U.S. Soccer is to leverage all the capabilities they possess and the world-class establishments they have managed to create. From technical expertise, player and team relationships, and strategic insights, TST will be getting the most out of the meaningful partnership for further expanding the event’s reach and relevance.

More specifically, according to Sports Business Journal, the four-year deal will place U.S. Soccer as the exclusive media and commercial sales agent for the winner-takes-all competition, considering there’s still room for growth in areas like media visibility and sponsorships, something Heather O’Reilly once highlighted. “There’s so much brand value here. You’ve got U.S. legends, high-level soccer, and an audience that’s hungry. Sponsors should be lining up,” she said to The Athletic. And while the financial terms of the deal have not been revealed, Jon Mugar said U.S. Soccer would be entitled to “a share of revenue in certain lines where they are of the most strategic help.”

“We’re only three years old now, and we’ve kind of hit on this market unexpectedly, very quickly,” Mugar said. “[U.S. Soccer] can help us figure out the puzzle as far as how to grow, how to scale it geographically. They’re just ideal from that perspective.” Simply put, a lot of things can be improved, but the good thing is that US Soccer and TST have already begun with the roadmap of how they wish to carry forward the legacy of this tournament. Let’s see what good this partnership brings!