The English actor sat down with GOAL at TST 2025 for an exclusive interview about him donning the Clarets badge for the tournament this year
CARY, N.C. – Hero Fiennes Tiffin, best known for his role as Hardin Scott in the famed 'After' Netflix franchise – a four-film series of romantic dramas based on the Anna Todd-authored novels – is taking a break from the film set this week and returning to his roots.
The 27-year-old actor is lacing up his boots and putting on the shirt of his first love: West Ham United.
"It's an honor and a privilege," he told GOAL at media day for The Soccer Tournament 2025, where he will be playing for the Clarets in the competition.
"I think it will always will be… It will always be that way anytime I put on the West Ham shirt. I feel like it's hard not to repeat myself, because the emotions are the same. It’s surreal for me to be amongst the people I looked up to when I was growing up, and wear the top that I've supported and watched for years. It's surreal, and the kid in me can't believe it."
Fiennes Tiffin, 27, will be playing with the likes of West Ham legends Anton Ferdinand and Mauro Zarate in the 7v7 competition this year, as he features for the second time after he debuted for in 2023 in the inaugural year of TST.
Fans around the world know the English actor from his role as Scott in the romantic films, but as a child, where his fandom was born, he also played the role of a young Tom Riddle in the sixth installment of the Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
GOAL sat down with the English actor to talk about his West Ham fandom, where it stemmed from, and what fans should expect from him on the pitch at TST this year.
The Soccer TournamentEarly beginnings
When Fiennes Tiffin was just a child, he wasn't surrounded by a footballing family, but rather, a community that took him in and introduced him to the Clarets and what it means to be a West Ham fan.
"No one in my family really cares much for football, but growing up in South London, you're never more than a meter away from someone who does. And I had neighbors two doors down called the Gatehouses, and they were all big West Ham fans – a family of like six or seven – and they always had season tickets," Fiennes Tiffin said.
The actor remembers playing with the family's kids, getting hand-me-down West Ham tops, and even eventually playing on the same youth football team. It all led to his initial experiences with the club.
"Before you know it, they were asking me if I wanted to come to Upton Park to watch games. My best mate at school was a West Ham fan, and by the time I could even name five teams in the Prem [Premier League], I knew I was a West Ham fan, and I had the kit and I was going to games," he said.
"So yeah, it kind of happened through neighbors and friends, and yeah, your team picks you, I guess."
It was a rather unorthodox approach to finding passion for the club, but through it, he found a pure and dedicated passion for the club, even while his acting career kicked off as a child.
AdvertisementThe Soccer TournamentFinding love for the Clarets
Through his love for the club, he was selected along with a group of ' legends and other players to represent them in the U.S. as they fight for the $1 million prize in the men's division of the tournament this year. As a kid, Fiennes Tiffin looked up to a lot of players who donned the crest, and now that he has an opportunity to do so as well alongside some of them, it means the world to him.
"From my lifetime, Mark Noble's got to be – I mean, he's Mr. West Ham, isn't he? So if I'm going to name one, it's him. But then the players who I can think back to when I first was watching games," he said. "Anton [Ferdinand] is up there. And they say, never meet your heroes, but Anton is the most respectful, accommodating, welcoming person, but also fun and smart, and knows what he's doing. I can't sing his praises enough. So yeah, he's probably the person who, when I think back to the earliest memories of West Ham for when I was alive, games that I actually watched, it'd be Anton."
With one year of experience under his belt from 2023 already, he's hoping to help lead the Premier League side to the podium this year – but recognizes it won't be easy, wth so much talent on display at TST this year.
The Soccer TournamentCompetition awaits
The men's Group Stage bracket features 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout rounds. West Ham's group includes La Liga side Villarreal, Brown Ballers FC, and TenFifteen FC.
If the Clarets advance, Hero Fiennes Tiffin already has his dream matchups in mind: Sergio Agüero's Selección Portero and Luis Nani’s Nani SC.
"Agüero… man, he's just a Premier League legend, and everyone can still hear that commentator screaming, ‘Agüerooooo!’ Nani as well—he’s massive. But I'm locking in Agüero as the person I'm probably most excited to see play or play against," he said.
Though unsure how many minutes he'll get, Fiennes Tiffin is just proud to wear the West Ham crest alongside fellow fans of the club. His competitive side, however, still hopes to see some action.
"When I’m on the bench, I’m obviously itching to play," he said. "But I’ve been working a lot and haven’t had as much time to train as I’d like. We’ve got a team full of strong players who play regularly at a high level. So I’ve told the coach and the others – I’m here to help however I can. If that means fewer minutes for me, I’m fine with that. I’ll be happy just to put on the kit, get a little run around, and contribute however I can."
The Soccer TournamentThe future
Fiennes Tiffin is thrilled to take some time to step away from the big screen for the competition, as he feels it's "nice" to take a break from the world he often surrounds himself with. The 27-year-old is currently in the midst of production for the series 'Young Sherlock' on Amazon Prime Video, where he will play a youthful Sherlock Holmes, but right now, his focus is on the competition.
However, that's not to say he hasn't thought about a potential crossover in the near future – in fact, there's a crossover in the back of his head between West Ham, soccer and his acting career that could come to fruition soon, though he's kept his lips sealed… for now.
"Let me not speak so much on this. I'm itching to, but there is one project in particular that is very West Ham oriented, that, if we can make it into a good script, and it's worth turning into a film, and all the stars aligned… and then I'll be involved in that, and that would be a massive crossover. That would be two massive parts of my life coming together. But no, and I guess as an actor, there's something nice about playing roles that are far away from home, but as I say, I'm itching to say more, but I can't right now.
"Hopefully, in the future, we'll see me work on a project that is heavily West Ham-oriented."
For fans who want to catch a glimpse of Fiennes Tiffin on the pitch this week, they can tune in and watch TST 2025, as he dons the badge of the Clarets once more.