Two-time National Women’s Soccer League champions Gotham FC made a major announcement Tuesday, revealing plans to call Etihad Park home starting in 2028. The stadium, currently being built in Flushing, Queens — just across the street from the New York Mets’ Citi Field — will mark the first soccer-specific venue in New York City’s history. It will also serve as the home ground for MLS club NYCFC.
The relocation brings Gotham FC out of their former suburban New Jersey stadium and into the heart of the city. According to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the new location will be reachable within a 75-minute public transit ride for approximately three million people — a shift that is widely expected to draw larger crowds to games for the defending champions.
“It is high time that Gotham FC has a world-class soccer-specific stadium where they can play that world-class soccer right here in the city that they represent,” Mamdani said at Tuesday’s event.
The stadium news comes just days after Gotham FC announced the signing of Australian star Sam Kerr, who finished as runner-up for the 2023 Ballon d’Or and is regarded by many as one of the finest strikers of her era.
The announcement is the latest in a string of major sports developments for New York. The city recently secured the hosting rights for this month’s World Cup final, and the U.S. Open tennis facility — also located in Flushing — is currently undergoing an $800 million renovation. Additionally, New York state formed an exploratory committee last month to examine the possibility of Lake Placid and New York City jointly hosting the 2042 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
