The US Women 7-on-7 team won the first-ever edition of The Soccer Tournament’s women’s bracket, taking home the $1 million prize.
The TST concluded on Monday, with Ali Krieger and Heather O’Reilly leading the US Women past the North Carolina Courage’s 7-on-7 team to a 6-3 victory.
"I mean, at that moment, you're not thinking right? Like, I just saw the ball come to me and i was able to put it in the back of the net," said game-winning goal-scorer Talia DellaPeruta. "And it was just... everything kind of stopped for a second. When it went in, I just could not believe it. Like, that was the winning goal, everything that we had worked for this whole weekend.
"I'm just so grateful that I can contribute in that way and to be surrounded by such legends on the field. I mean, to be able to get us over that line, it's the best feeling I've ever felt. This is the best day ever."
Each team member will take home $40,000, with the winnings split equally amongst the 25-person group. First launched in 2023, TST is now the world’s highest-stakes women’s soccer tournament, offering equal $1 million prizes for both the men’s and women’s champions.
"Every single person, staff, players — we deserve it. One million dollars!" O'Reilly said in a team huddle after the victory.
The Soccer Tournament has it’s women’s final set, with the US Women and NC Courage set to face off for the $1 million winner-takes-all prize.
Sponsored by the NWSL's North Carolina Courage and led by NWSL and USWNT veteran Jessica McDonald, the NC Courage qualified for the semifinal as runner-up in Group B. They beat Streetball FC Canada, winners of Group A, 2-0 in the first semifinal.
Madison Wolfbauer scored both goals in that game, helping send the Courage to the final.
US Women, led by Heather O’Reilly and coached by USWNT legend Mia Hamm, beat Tampa Bay Sun FC in the second semifinal 4-0. They finished second in Group A, moving ahead of Angel City 7 on goal differential.
Both teams will now compete for the $1 million prize at 8:30 PM ET, with the TST championship match airing live on ESPN+.
The first-ever women’s version of the Soccer Tournament (TST) gets underway Friday morning, where eight teams will play for a $1 million winner-take-all prize.
This year’s tournament features a slate of pro, semi-pro, amateur, and retired athletes representing teams from four different countries and five pro clubs: US Women, Wrexham Red Dragons, Burnley FC, Soccerhead FC, North Carolina Courage, Streetball FC Canada, Tampa Bay Sun FC, and Angel City 7S.
TST first launched in June 2023. Since branching out into the women's game for the 2024 season, it’s now the world’s highest-stakes women’s soccer tournament, offering equal $1 million prizes for both the men’s and women’s champions.
The 2023 tournament was modeled after the World Cup, with 32 teams battling it out in eight groups of four before 16 teams advanced to single-elimination knockout rounds.
USWNT legend Heather O’Reilly led the creation of the women’s side when she entered an all-women’s team coached by Hamm into the inaugural tournament, with the rest of the teams being all men.
This year's headliners include NWSL and USWNT vets Mia Hamm, Michele Akers, Heather O’Reilly, Lori Lindsey, Ali Krieger, Allie Long, and Carli Lloyd (US Women); Jessica McDonald (NC Courage); Chenya Matthews and Kealia Watt (Burnley FC); Carley Telford (Wrexham Red Dragons); and Brazil’s Formiga (Tampa Bay Sun FC).
TBT Enterprises — which has run a basketball version of the tournament since 2014 — is behind the venture.
The women’s group stage kicks off on June 7th at 9:30 AM ET and runs through June 10th’s championship doubleheader. Select games throughout the tournament will air on ESPN networks, with the remaining games available to stream on TST’s website.