Two-time and reigning NWSL champions Gotham FC will play home matches at New York City FC\u2019s new stadium, Etihad Park in Queens, beginning in 2028, Gotham FC and New York City FC announced Tuesday. The move marks a defining moment in Gotham FC\u2019s evolution, giving one of the world\u2019s leading women\u2019s clubs a matchday environment that reflects its ambitions and provides supporters with a world-class experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The agreement manifests a shared vision between Gotham FC and New York City FC to\u00a0establish\u00a0New York as a home of world-class professional soccer. For Gotham FC, it marks another defining step in building one of the world\u2019s leading women\u2019s clubs following its first continental title, second NWSL championship in three seasons and plans for the club\u2019s first dedicated training facility in Whippany, New Jersey. It also highlights Gotham FC\u2019s commitment to elite environments and accessible fan experiences, with Etihad Park connecting the club to more than 3 million\u00a0additional\u00a0people within a 75-minute commute via MTA bus and subway and Long Island\u00a0Rail Road\u00a0(LIRR).\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom day one, our ambition has been bigger than championships,\u201d said Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, the governor of Gotham FC. \u201cWe are building one of the world\u2019s most iconic clubs and helping define the future of women\u2019s 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,\u00a0supporters\u00a0and the game itself. Gotham FC is showing what is possible when you invest boldly in women\u2019s soccer, and we are committed to building an experience worthy of the fans who have believed in this club from the beginning.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s announcement reflects New York City FC and City Football Group\u2019s continued commitment to investing in New York City and advancing the growth of soccer across the five boroughs. From the outset, the vision for Etihad Park has been to create a world-class home for the game, including women\u2019s professional soccer at the highest level. With Gotham FC making Etihad Park its new home, that vision has become a reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the earliest days of planning Etihad Park, our vision was for it to be more than the home of New York City FC,\u201d said Marty Edelman, New York City FC Co-Vice\u00a0Chairman. \u201cWe set out to create a venue that would bring the world\u2019s game to the world\u2019s borough and\u00a0showcase\u00a0soccer at the highest level, including women\u2019s soccer. Welcoming Gotham FC to Etihad Park is\u00a0an important step\u00a0in\u00a0delivering on\u00a0that 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNew 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,\u201d New York Governor Kathy Hochul said. \u201cNow residents and visitors alike will be able to experience our premier women\u2019s soccer team right here in New York City at our first-ever soccer specific stadium \u2014 giving players and fans the world-class experience they deserve.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom Sam Kerr\u2019s legendary four-goal comeback to Midge Purce\u2019s championship-clinching heroics, Gotham FC has given us some of the greatest moments in women\u2019s soccer,\u201d said New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. \u201cNow 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\u2019s soccer in the greatest city in the world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGotham FC\u2019s move to Etihad Park is another milestone in the continued evolution of our league,\u201d said Jessica Berman, Commissioner, National Women’s Soccer League. \u201cAs our clubs create permanent homes that are both world-class and easily accessible, they are strengthening the connection with existing supporters while making it easier for new fans to experience the excitement of the NWSL firsthand. This announcement reflects Gotham FC\u2019s ambition, reinforces New York\u2019s role as one of the world\u2019s premier soccer markets, and\u00a0demonstrates\u00a0how infrastructure can help grow the game for generations to come.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n