TST 2026, the Cagliari’s program

All is set for Cagliari’s debut at The Soccer Tournament 2026 (TST), scheduled for WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. This will be the Rossoblu’s third consecutive season in the United States in the prestigious seven-a-side soccer tournament, scheduled for May 27th to June 1st, following their 2024 experience alongside Como and last year.

An adventure that continues to grow on and off the pitch, between projects and partnerships linked to the international dimension of the Club and the promotion of Sardinia on the global sporting scene. A path that strengthens the bond with the rossoblù fans present in every part of the world and enhances the excellence of the Sardinian territory. Many stars are expected in this edition, which will also see the involvement of the Kings League, demonstrated by the presence of some elements from that context in the Cagliari squad. In addition to Radja Nainggolan, ready to wear the rossoblù shirt again five years after the last time, there will also be Andrea Cossu, Marco Sau, Luca Ceppitelli and Matteo Mancosu. Other big names in world football include Landon Donovan, Hope Solo, Douglas Costa, Sebastian Giovinco, Sergio Aguero and Gerard Piqué.

THE GROUP
There are 48 teams at the starting line, divided into 12 groups of four. Inserted in group J, Cagliari will debut against Spanish side Villarreal on Wednesday 27 May at 6.30pm Italian time (12.30pm local time). Thursday 28 May, at 1.15am Italian time (7.15pm local time), the rossoblù will face the Mexicans of Club América. Also on Thursday 28 May, at 11pm Italian time (5pm in the USA), the last match of the group is scheduled against the Americans Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The top two in each group, as well as the eight best third-placed teams, advance to the direct elimination phase.

The matches will be broadcast on the TST YouTube channel (Click here), while all updates will be published on the official Cagliari Calcio channels, with photos, videos, and exclusive content from North Carolina.
CLICK HERE | Watch Cagliari-Villareal
CLICK HERE | Watch Cagliari-Club America
CLICK HERE | Watch Cagliari-Fort Lauderdale Stickers

THE RULES
Matches are played over two 18-minute halves, followed by “Target Score Time,” a special untimed period designed to enhance the excitement and unpredictability. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, the team that scores first wins. The team leading after the first 36 minutes secures the victory by scoring another goal; the trailing team can overturn the scoreline, but without conceding, which would automatically award the victory to their opponents. If the decisive goal doesn’t arrive in the first three minutes of “Target Score Time,” both teams progressively lose a player every three minutes: the game progresses to 6-on-6 until, eventually, 2-on-2, and indefinitely until the decisive goal is scored.

THE CAGLIARI SQUAD
Led by captain Andrea Cossu, the Rossoblu team will be able to count on the experience and charisma of Radja Nainggolan, Marco Sau, Luca Ceppitelli, and Matteo Mancosu, all of whom have long been part of the club and in professional football. Also joining the squad are young players owned by Cagliari: Vincenzo Sarno (goalkeeper), Nicolò Cavuoti, Nicola Grandu, Otheniel Raterink, Márton Prettenhoffer, and Alessandro Vinciguerra. Completing the roster are the additions for TST: Alessio Buono (goalkeeper, from Zeta Como of the Kings League), Argentine Facundo Setti (futsal specialist), Canadian Lucas Shaw, already signed for 2025, and American Ashraf Tendo Bedard-Khalid. The team’s coach will be Gian Marco Serra: a Sardinian five-a-side football coach with extensive experience in regional futsal, he has played for Mediterranea Cagliari, Monastir, and Serramanna, as well as having coached the Sardinian Under-19 team. Athletic preparation will be handled by Francesco Fois, who previously served on the Rossoblù first team’s medical staff, focusing on injury recovery.

THE CARY CUP
Among the new features of the 2026 edition is the Cary Cup, one of the most original events on the international youth scene: a men’s and women’s tournament that combines talent, entertainment, and innovation thanks to the TST format and Target Score Time™ rules. Cagliari will participate with an Under-14 team, ready to compete against some of the best US academies in a top-level sporting and educational experience. Among the most anticipated events is the All-Star Game, featuring the best talents selected by Cagliari Calcio, who will take to the field wearing the 2025/26 Home and 2026/27 Away jerseys. The best players, both male and female, will also enjoy a special experience in Sardinia, coming into direct contact with the Club and the Rossoblu region. Part of the TST, the Cary Cup will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, sharing the stage with professionals, celebrities and protagonists of the main tournament, in an atmosphere that mixes soccer, entertainment and pure American style.