New Stadium Finally Approved for NYCFC

A years-long search to find its own stadium by New York City Football Club is finally coming to a conclusion after New York City officials approved a plan to build a 25,000-seat soccer-specific stadium in Queens next to the New York Mets’ stadium, Citi Field.

The stadium announcement ends an era for NYCFC, which won the MLS Cup in 2021 but has never had a place to call its own home since starting Major League Soccer play in 2015. It has played most of its games at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx but also had to play at Citi Field or at the home of its MLS rivals, the New York Red Bulls, in Harrison, New Jersey.

“Today’s City Council vote gets us one step closer to bringing this promise to life in Queens — the World’s Borough will be our home for The World’s Game,” NYCFC Vice Chairman Marty Edelman said in a statement released by the city.

The $780 million stadium, expected to open in 2027, will anchor a 23-acre redevelopment project in the Willets Point neighborhood. In addition to Citi Field, the venue’s neighbors will include the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The City Council approved the new stadium after decades of failed efforts to transform Willets Point, long a cluster of auto body shops. City officials have said the stadium will be privately financed by NYCFC’s owners, who include the Yankees and the owner of the Manchester City Football Club.

“The approval by the New York City Council of New York City FC’s new world-class stadium is another historic step for Major League Soccer as we continue to build the sport in North America,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber.