New York City FC has officially confirmed the date of its first home match at Etihad Park, the club’s long-awaited soccer-specific stadium in Queens, New York.
The announcement was made by club CEO Brad Sims on Thursday during an MLS media event held at league headquarters in midtown Manhattan.
Etihad Park is being constructed next door to Citi Field in Queens, giving the club a permanent home after more than a decade of searching across New York City’s five boroughs.
NYCFC will play its first match at the new venue on July 17, 2027, marking the end of a nomadic existence that has defined the club since its inaugural season back in 2015.
Sims was clearly emotional as he made the announcement, describing the moment as years of hard work and perseverance finally coming to fruition for the club and its supporters.
“First of all, it’s a long time coming, right?” Sims said. “I got goosebumps announcing the first game because this is 12, 13 years in the making, and a lot of people put in so much hard work, time, effort, vetting out dozens and dozens of sites around the five boroughs.”
NYCFC defender Kevin O’Toole also spoke at the event, reflecting on what the new stadium means for players, staff, and the wider supporter community.
“We’ve been a team that’s been homeless,” O’Toole said. “I think from us as players to the club to supporter group, everyone’s super excited that I talk to. Right across the street from Citi Field, one of our previous homes, our official home, and a place where they can make it their own.”
Thursday’s event brought a second major announcement, with NYCFC confirming that O’Toole had signed a contract extension running through the 2028-29 season, with an option included for the 2029-30 campaign.
Sims also framed the stadium confirmation as the fulfillment of a foundational promise the club made to its fanbase and to New York City itself when the club was first established.
“We’re proud of the fact that we’re the only professional sports team in New York City with City in the name,” Sims said, underlining the importance of the club maintaining its identity throughout the long stadium search.
The CEO acknowledged the journey had been considerably more difficult than anyone had initially anticipated, but insisted the club’s resilience had made the moment all the more meaningful.
“We knew it was going to be hard. It was harder than I think anyone thought it was going to be, but incredibly proud moment for us to kind of fulfill that promise that we made, and the fact that we kind of never gave up,” Sims added.
With a confirmed opening date now locked in, NYCFC supporters will finally see their club play in a purpose-built home of its own when the summer of 2027 arrives.
