Gotham FC is in advanced talks to relocate to the new soccer stadium that NYCFC is building in Queens, a move that would shift its home games about 20 miles east, according to multiple people familiar with the talks.
The NWSL club currently plays in Sports Illustrated Stadium, the New Jersey home of MLS’ Red Bulls. It has played there since 2021.
The new stadium, Etihad Park, is located next to Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets. It is being privately financed by NYCFC owners, which includes UAE’s Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the New York Yankees and billionaire Marcelo Claure. It will cost about $780 million and is scheduled to open for the start of the 2027-28 MLS season.
The talks have centered around Gotham joining for the 2028 NWSL season, said the people, who were granted anonymity because the negotiations are private. No final decision has been made and no contract has been signed.
“Like many clubs, especially in the NWSL as the league rapidly grows, we regularly evaluate options to best support our players, supporters and organization,” Gotham said in a club statement. “We don’t have any updates to share right now.”
It’s unclear if NYCFC’s owners would have the opportunity to invest in Gotham FC as part of any deal, an arrangement that isn’t unheard-of. A rep for NYCFC declined to comment.
The move would be a major shift for the team and many of its fans. Not only are the two venues in different states, but the heart of New York City sits in the middle. They’re serviced by completely different public transit systems—the PATH and NJ Transit in New Jersey, and the NYC subway and Long Island Rail Road in Queens. Both venues have a soccer capacity of about 25,000.
Last offseason, Gotham made a major push to sell season tickets by introducing a campaign it called “The Blueprint.” Among the perks the team advertised to the first 5,000 people to sign up for a 2026 season ticket membership: “Your price will not increase for the next five years, guaranteed.” (Emphasis theirs). Its unclear how any possible relocation might impact those who signed up.
Gotham FC is controlled by Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, who bought into the team in 2022. Other investors include Ed Nalbandian, former New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Eli Manning, Sue Bird and Kevin Durant. The team is worth $175 million, according to Sportico’s most recent valuations, which ranks seventh in the league.
The club averaged 8,589 fans per home game in 2024, and 8,892 fans per home game in its 2025 championship season, both middle of the pack in the NWSL. So far this year attendance at Sports Illustrated Stadium has averaged 7,748.
Gotham is set to play in Queens, at Citi Field, for its July 15 game against the Washington Spirit. The club used to call itself NJ/NY Gotham, though it appears to have moved off of that nomenclature. It also recently released a new third jersey featuring the Statue of Liberty and the blue and orange colors of the New York City flag.
With assistance from Molly Geary.
