NYCFC endured ‘a long and painful process’ of stunning $780 million, 25,000-seat football stadium to be built in Queens for 2027, chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak reveals
- New York City FC plays most home games at Yankee Stadium
- In the team’s new home, they will be next to the New York Mets baseball team
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
New York City FC has gone through a “long and painful process” to get permission to build their own stadium, chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has revealed.
The Major League Soccer club has exciting plans to build a $780 million stadium – the first ever soccer-specific stadium in New York – that will be completed in time for the 2027 MLS season.
It will be located adjacent to Citi Field, home of Major League Baseball team New York Mets, and also adjacent to Flushing Meadows, home of the US Open.
So far, NYCFC has played at Yankee Stadium and New Jersey and Al Mubarak – who is also Manchester City chairman – has expressed how crucial having its own stadium will be.
“This has been a very long and painful process, (it’s) not easy to build a stadium in New York City, very, very hard,” Mubarak said.
New York City FC is building New York’s first-ever soccer-specific stadium in the city
The $780 million, 25,000-seat stadium will be ready for the 2027 MLS season
The stadium will be located in Queens, near where the New York Mets play baseball
“Having your stadium is very important, you know that in every team. We’ve built, I think, a great organization, a great club, a great fan base in New York. And now we are going to give this team a beautiful stadium.
“It’s critical. That’s crucial. Today we are effectively playing in the stadium of another team and by the way, another team that is not playing football. We’re playing in a baseball stadium.
“So, of course, I think what we’ve done given the restrictions has been incredible.
“But this team needs its stadium and that will add tremendous value to the community. It will create jobs. It will, I think, create a home for this great club. And that is crucial.’
The stadium will have an “iconic activated cube entrance” and across the top of the building will be the name of the stadium, named after a sponsor yet to be determined, in large, bold letters.
NYCFC won the MLS Cup in 2021, but fast forward to 2023 and it’s less of a successful campaign at the moment.
The team is 11th in the Eastern Conference, three points outside the playoffs. The team will play against Atlanta United again on Wednesday-evening.
MLS has recently been goaded by Inter Miami’s stunning signing of Lionel Messi, who will join the team after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain officially expires.
To date, NYCFC has played the most home games at Yankee Stadium
The team started in the MLS in 2015 assuming its own stadium in New York
NYCFC President Khaldoon Al Mubarak said the franchise has been fighting hard to build its own home
His first game is scheduled for July 21 in the new Leagues Cup launching MLS. NYCFC will not play against Miami until September 30 in MLS.
NYCFC was announced as an MLS expansion club in 2013 and debuted in the 2015 season.
It was founded on the premise that the franchise would make a deal to build a stadium in New York City.