Believe it or not, New York is finally getting its first ever soccer-specific stadium.
The city has three teams across MLS and the NWSL -- New York City FC, New York Red Bulls and NY/NJ Gotham FC -- but NYCFC mainly plays in Yankee Stadium, home of the Yankees, while the Red Bulls and Gotham play in New Jersey.
But NYCFC is bringing change, as the MLS club on Wednesday unveiled renderings of "The Cube," a seven-story entrance to the city's first soccer venue.
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The stadium is expected to open by 2027. NYCFC was first announced as an MLS expansion team in 2013 before debuting in 2015.
The entrance will feature 11,000 square feet of LED screens that will be customizable for gameday programming, art displays and additional depictions throughout the year.
Expected to cost $780 million through private financing, the stadium will have a capacity of 25,000 people (tied for seventh-largest among soccer-specific MLS venues) and will be built in Willets Points, Queens, right across Citi Field -- home of the Mets -- and near the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open.
Soccer
“When you’re at our stadium, you’re going to know you’re in New York City,” NYCFC CEO Brad Sims told The Athletic. “Whether you’re sitting near the pitch and looking up and out, or whether you’re on the concourse or wherever you are in the stadium, you’re going to know that you’re in New York City.”
Naming rights to the stadium have not been bought by a sponsor yet.
It's a welcoming announcement as the Cityzens in 2022 played home games in five different venues: Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Red Bull Arena (primary home of the Red Bulls), Belson Stadium (home of St. John’s University) and even cross country at BMO Stadium (home of LAFC).
