The Betway Cup is set to return this summer as West Ham line up a prestige pre-season friendly before the start of the new campaign.
West Ham have a chance to add another trophy to the cabinet alongside the Europa Conference League.
Historically the Hammers have looked to round off their pre-season preparations with a friendly against a top level side at home the weekend before the new season starts.
West Ham have played the likes of Roma, Napoli, Espanyol, Atletic Club, Atalanta and others in the past.
Indeed when the Hammers moved to the London Stadium in 2016 they even officially christened it with a friendly against Italian giants Juventus.
West Ham’s pre-season plans take shape
The final warm-up game is played for the Betway Cup – so named by West Ham’s chief sponsor.
Last season the Hammers did not have a Betway Cup friendly.
Instead they went to Bayer Leverkusen and were hammered 4-0.
But now the Betway Cup returns as West Ham line up a prestige pre-season friendly.
According to Hammers insider Sean Whetstone, the club is planning to host a game at home on the weekend of August 10th.
Betway Cup returns as West Ham line up prestige friendly
“This summer could see the return of the Betway Cup with a friendly at the London Stadium the weekend before the Premier League starts on Saturday 17 August 2024,” Whetstone said.
Who the opposition will be is anyone’s guess.
But West Ham will be lining up a high level of opposition to prepare them for what is to come when the new Premier League campaign gets underway a week later.
Crucially the match will be a first chance for most West Ham fans to see what promises to be a new-look side under new head coach Julen Lopetegui for the first time.
Supporters will be keen to see if there are any early signs or signals of big changes to the style of play and approach.
Further details are expected to be announced shortly.
Hammer-time in the USA
The prestige home friendly will follow West Ham’s US two-game Sunshine State tour to Florida.
Lopetegui takes his new side across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States to take on Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace in two matches as part of the inaugural Stateside Cup.
The Irons will take on Wolves at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville on Saturday 27 July at 7pm EDT, before facing the Eagles at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Saturday 3 August at 7pm EDT.
Palace and Wolves will play in between, with the top performing team being presented with the Stateside Cup.
West Ham will then return to east London and are expected to round off their preparations for Lopetegui’s first season with a home friendly a week later.
Check out how some of West Ham’s players found out about the pre-season plans below.