Washington, D.C. (03\/17\/2026) \u2013 The Washington Spirit and rival Gotham FC will face off at Citi Field in Queens, New York on Wednesday, July 15 for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff in the first women\u2019s sporting event at the famous home of Major League Baseball\u2019s New York Mets,\u00a0the clubs announced today. The match will air on ESPN and ESPN Unlimited (ESPN App) in Spanish\u00a0in a rematch of the 2025 NWSL\u00a0Championship\u00a0this summer to kick off the league\u2019s annual Rivalry Weekend.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Spirit-Gotham rivalry, dubbed \u201cThe District vs. The Empire\u201d, is one of the most-played fixtures in NWSL history as the sides have faced off 44 times across all competitions. Washington holds a slight advantage in the series with 17 wins, 15 losses and 12 draws including a 9-8-4 record as the away team. The teams have met in the playoffs each of the past two seasons as well, with the Spirit earning a thrilling penalty shootout victory after a stoppage time equalizer in the 2024 semifinal match and Gotham winning last year\u2019s final 1-0.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe District vs. Empire rivalry belongs on a big stage, and Citi Field delivers,\u201d said Washington Spirit CEO Kim Stone. \u201cThis is one of the most electric matchups in the NWSL, and our fans bring an intensity that demands to be seen. Playing in New York City just days before the World Cup final is a moment we\u2019re not taking lightly. The NWSL is women\u2019s soccer at its best, and New Yorkers know a big moment when they see one \u2013 this is it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Queens Classic will be the Spirit\u2019s third away match\u00a0at an\u00a0historic\u00a0major league\u00a0venue in the last year as the team\u00a0defeated Bay FC at San Francisco\u2019s Oracle Park in front of an NWSL-record 40,091\u00a0fans last August and will travel to take on expansion side Denver Summit FC\u00a0at Empower Field at Mile High later this month. The March 28 bout with Denver is expected to break the league attendance record with over 50,000\u00a0tickets out\u00a0already.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis summer will be transformational for soccer in our region, and we\u2019re really excited to put women\u2019s sports and our world-class athletes at Gotham FC front and center when a global spotlight is on New York,\u201d said Gotham FC Chief Business Officer Ryan Dillon. \u201cIt will be a history-making summer of soccer, and this event ensures that we are a part of that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tickets\u00a0to July\u2019s Queens Classic will go on sale to the\u00a0general public\u00a0on Wednesday, March 25 at GothamFC.com\/tickets and Mets.com\/GothamFC.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Spirit\u00a0kicked\u00a0off the\u00a0regular season\u00a0at home on Friday, March 13\u00a0in front of a sellout crowd of 19,215, the\u00a0team\u2019s third consecutive sellout at Audi Field and seventh in less than two years.\u00a0The Spirit will take the pitch at Audi Field\u00a0next on\u00a0Wednesday, March 25 when the side hosts Utah Royals FC. Ticketing information is available\u00a0HERE<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n ABOUT THE WASHINGTON SPIRIT<\/p>\n The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women\u2019s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012, and is an inaugural member of the National Women\u2019s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit\u00a0WashingtonSpirit.com<\/a> and follow the club on Twitter<\/a>, Instagram<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n