Overview:

Two-time and reigning National Women’s Soccer Leage champion Gotham FC will play home matches at New York City FC’s new stadium, Etihad Park in Queens, beginning in 2028, Gotham FC and NYCFC announced on Tuesday.

NEW YORK – Two-time and reigning National Women’s Soccer Leage champion Gotham FC will play home matches at New York City FC’s new stadium, Etihad Park in Queens, beginning in 2028, Gotham FC and NYCFC announced on Tuesday.

The move marks a defining moment in Gotham FC’s evolution, giving one of the world’s leading women’s clubs a matchday environment that reflects its ambitions and provides supporters with a world-class experience.

The agreement manifests a shared vision between Gotham FC and New York City FC to establish New York as a home of world-class professional soccer. For Gotham FC, it marks another defining step in building one of the world’s leading women’s clubs following its first continental title, second NWSL championship in three seasons and plans for the club’s first dedicated training facility in Whippany, New Jersey. It also highlights Gotham FC’s commitment to elite environments and accessible fan experiences, with Etihad Park connecting the club to more than 3 million additional people within a 75-minute commute via MTA bus and subway and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).

“From day one, our ambition has been bigger than championships,” said Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, the Governor of Gotham FC. “We are building one of the world’s most iconic clubs and helping define the future of women’s sports. Our move to Etihad Park reflects that ambition, and we are deeply grateful to New York City FC for their vision and commitment to helping make this historic moment possible. World-class athletes deserve world-class environments, and this move allows us to keep raising the standard for our players, supporters and the game itself. Gotham FC is showing what is possible when you invest boldly in women’s soccer, and we are committed to building an experience worthy of the fans who have believed in this club from the beginning.”

“From the earliest days of planning Etihad Park, our vision was for it to be more than the home of New York City FC,” said Marty Edelman, New York City FC Co-Vice Chairman. “We set out to create a venue that would bring the world’s game to the world’s borough and showcase soccer at the highest level, including women’s soccer. Welcoming Gotham FC to Etihad Park is an important step in delivering on that promise and building a world-class home for the game in New York City. We are grateful to Carolyn and the entire Gotham ownership group for their partnership in making this moment possible, and we look forward to working together to elevate the game, inspire the next generation, and shape the future of soccer in New York City and beyond.”

Etihad Park will be New York City’s first soccer-specific stadium, opening in spring 2027. New York City FC will start play at Etihad Park with the beginning of the 2027-28 MLS season in July 2027, with Gotham FC set to begin play in 2028. In addition to MLS and NWSL matches, Etihad Park will host major international soccer events, including men’s and women’s Olympic soccer matches in 2028, as well as international friendlies, concerts and other sporting events.

A 25,000-capacity venue, Etihad Park will feature custom spaces for Gotham FC, including the team’s own locker room and club merchandise positions in the New York City FC team store. Etihad Park’s state-of-the-art LED signage and digital videoboards throughout the bowl and concourses will create a matchday that is unmistakably and exclusively Gotham FC’s own, with high-impact branding opportunities for Gotham FC and its partners.

“New York State is home to some of the world’s greatest sports teams, and we couldn’t be more excited to officially add the reigning NWSL champion Gotham FC to our ranks,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said. “Now residents and visitors alike will be able to experience our premier women’s soccer team right here in New York City at our first-ever soccer specific stadium — giving players and fans the world-class experience they deserve.”

Added New York City mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: “From Sam Kerr’s legendary four-goal comeback to Midge Purce’s championship-clinching heroics, Gotham FC has given us some of the greatest moments in women’s soccer. Now the next electrifying chapter of that story will be written in New York City. Bringing Gotham FC to Queens means that the young girl kicking a ball around Jackson Heights, Jamaica or the South Bronx will be able to take the train and watch some of the best players in the world in her own city. It means more customers for neighborhood restaurants, more visitors filling our hotels and, most importantly, a permanent home for world-class women’s soccer in the greatest city in the world.”