TST releases 2026 Cary schedule, WakeMed Soccer Park to host soccer stars
WakeMed Soccer Park will pack 159 live matches into six days, with a May 30 Landon Donovan-Hope Solo showdown on NBC.
Cary is gearing up for a crowded six-day surge at WakeMed Soccer Park, where The Soccer Tournament will bring 76 teams, more than 2,000 athletes and 159 live matches from May 27 through June 1, 2026. The schedule release turns the event into a hard calendar for hotel operators, restaurant owners, park staff and police, with traffic and parking around the complex set to tighten as fans arrive for one of the Triangle’s biggest soccer weeks.
The headline attraction is a May 30 matchup between Landon Donovan and Hope Solo at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, a slot that gives the tournament immediate national visibility. TST’s 2026 field also stretches well beyond familiar U.S. soccer names. Dreamville FC, organized by J. Cole’s Dreamville Records, is in the men’s bracket, alongside club-backed and celebrity-led teams such as Wrexham AFC, Villarreal CF, Cagliari Calcio, Club América, Orlando Pirates, Kings League All-Stars, KRÜ FC and the North Carolina Courage.
This year’s format includes three competitions, a 48-team men’s event, a 16-team women’s event and a new 12-team mixed division. Each winner will receive $1 million, for a total of $3 million paid out to the champions. TST says the 2026 lineup represents 15 countries and four continents, a mix designed to keep Cary in front of both hardcore soccer fans and casual visitors looking for a spectacle.
That strategy fits the way Cary has leaned into sports tourism. The Town of Cary says visitors can use TST week to explore Downtown Cary, local restaurants, shopping, parks and greenways, turning game day travel into a longer stay. The town also points to the tournament’s local history: TST began in Cary in 2023, added the women’s bracket in 2024 and built on a 2025 event that set a Cary attendance record of 51,730 fans.
The 2025 tournament also drew nearly 2,000 players from 34 countries, and the town says the Cary Cup youth tournament brought 130-plus teams to WakeMed Soccer Park during semifinal weekend. TST says the event is secured in Cary through 2029, giving Wake County a recurring spring showcase that is now firmly part of Cary’s business and tourism playbook. NBC Sports will carry 17 matches across NBC, Peacock and NBCSN from May 30 through June 1, widening the spotlight on Cary just as the crowds start to build.
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