Did you hear? A new soccer event is on the way! For those living under a rock, a global 7v7 tournament called World Sevens Football (W7F) is making its way this summer. As this latest addition to the women’s game gains attention, icons Tobin Heath and Kelley O’Hara—who are among the key figures behind this groundbreaking event—have received high praise from their former USWNT teammates, Lynn Biyendolo and Sam Mewis, for their involvement.

“I think it’s cool,” began Lynn while speaking on the latest episode of The Women’s Game podcast. Already, the beautiful game, especially the women’s side of the game is witnessing remarkable growth. And capitalizing on it is one great way to do so. The Seattle Reign forward believes it will allow all the younger players to make a name for themselves, specifically those who fail to get minutes or get overshined by others.

“It kind of reminds me of the unrivaled league that the WNBA is doing right now,” added the former Williams, recalling a particular 1v1 tournament where even though the 2024 rookie Aaliyah Edwards lost the final, she was able to make everyone say, “Who is this girl?” The tournament was no less than a perfect opportunity for players like her to get into the spotlight.

Likewise, Sam Mewis also echoed Biyendolo’s feeling, seeing it as an “additional opportunity provided by people who are just seeing the rise in women’s sports.” Ditching the old wee methods of a structured league, she praised how the new model is unlocking new horizons, while also creating a successful business model.

In fact, not just Unrivaled; Mewis cited the example of ‘The Soccer Tournament [TST]’ which has been running quite successfully over the past few years since its launch in 2023. There was a time when only one women’s team was contesting along with seven other men’s teams. But this year’s installment witnessed a remarkable expansion, with eight women’s teams alone contesting for a million-dollar prize.

Before concluding, both Biyendolo and Mewis then gave a special shoutout to Kelley O’Hara and Tobin Heath. Both of the retired players are apparently a part of the World Sevens Football Council, which as they describe as “an elite squad of women footballers leading the charge on player care, competition strategy, and making this series unforgettable for players, clubs, and fans!”

“Honestly, go Kelly and Tobin for being a part of this as well,” said Biyendolo before Mewis added, “Get out there girls.” Further notching up the praise, Lynn concluded, “Seeing retired players continuing to be a part of the game and growing the game in different ways in various ways is really cool to see.”

Be that as it may, it seems like everyone is positive about this latest tournament. Speaking of which, let’s know more about it!

More about Tobin Heath, Kelley O’Hara-led World Sevens Football tournament

Set to kick off in Estoril, Portugal, the World Sevens Football tournament is set to feature some of the best players from a total of eight clubs around the globe who’ll be having a dance with fate in a three-day competition for a hefty prize pot of $5 million. The tournament will kick off on May 21 and will end on May 23. Simply put, this tournament aims to provide both the clubs and players with a platform through which they can expand their brand image. Other factors include engaging younger fans while attracting greater investment in women’s soccer.

The stakeholders recently hired longtime Chelsea executive Adrian Jacob as its head of football, who played a key role in Chelsea women’s seven WSL titles. While former U.S. midfielder and Bay FC co-founder Aly Wagner will oversee strategy, Tobin Heath will lead the player advisory council alongside former England and French defender duo Anita Asante and Laura Georges, as well as ex-USWNT and Swedish midfielders Tobin Heath and Caroline Seger, respectively. 

Though part of the motivation for this W7F comes from Unrivaled raking over $38 million since its launch, Wager still believes their model is different.

“In our platform, we are putting clubs and players front and centre. That’s how we’re working across the key stakeholders: to really grow that investment in the game. That’s where our model is different,” she said, as compiled by the Athletic. No wonder it was able to bag a live stream deal with global sports service DAZN, which will also assist in marketing the tournament.

Remarkably, the whole tournament has been financially backed by Gotham FC minority owner Jennifer Mackesy, and her husband, Scott. They have committed $100 million in investment over five years. Coincidentally, Jennifer is also part of the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital group that owns Chelsea.

“This tournament is going to showcase the different types of football,” said Laura Georges.

Excited? We are buzzing already!