New York City FC facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
New York City FC

Full name	New York City Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Pigeons The Boys in Blue
Founded	May 21, 2013; 12 years ago (2013-05-21)
Stadium	Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York Citi Field, Queens, New York
Stadium capacity	Yankee Stadium: 28,743 (expandable to 47,422) Citi Field: 41,922
Owner	City Football Group (80%) Marcelo Claure (10%) Yankee Global Enterprises (10%)
CEO	Brad Sims
Head coach	Nick Cushing
League	Major League Soccer
2024	Eastern Conference: 6th Overall: 13th Playoffs: Semi Final V/Red Bulls New York
Home colors Away colors Third colors

New York City Football Club, often called NYCFC, is a professional soccer team from New York City. They play in Major League Soccer (MLS) as part of the Eastern Conference. The club is owned by City Football Group (who also own Manchester City) and Yankee Global Enterprises, which owns the New York Yankees baseball team. Investor Marcelo Claure also owns a part of the club.

New York City FC played their first league game in the 2015 MLS season. They were the 20th team to join the league. NYCFC was the first MLS team based in New York City. They are the second team in the wider New York metropolitan area, after the New York Red Bulls. These two teams play against each other in a big rivalry called the Hudson River Derby. Since 2015, NYCFC has mostly played their home games at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. They share this stadium with the New York Yankees. Sometimes, they play at other places like Citi Field in Queens or Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. Since 2022, NYCFC has played at least six home games at Citi Field. This stadium is close to where their new home, Etihad Park, is planned to open in 2027.

After several years of playing well but not winning the big playoff games, New York City FC finally won their first major trophy, the 2021 MLS Cup. The club then won their first international trophy, the 2022 Campeones Cup, by beating Atlas. This made them the first New York-based club to win an international soccer trophy. In 2022, NYCFC was the 18th most attended club in the league. Forbes magazine said they were the fourth most valuable team, worth $800 million.

History of New York City FC

How the Club Started

In the early 2000s, Major League Soccer (MLS) wanted to add a second team in the New York City area. By 2007, the league talked with different groups about owning this new team.

In 2010, MLS boss Don Garber officially said the league planned to add its 20th team in New York. They hoped this new team would start playing by 2013. Garber also talked with the owners of the New York Cosmos. However, the Cosmos decided not to join MLS because of the high fee and league rules. They chose to play in a different league instead.

Garber had also wanted a big European soccer club to own a future MLS team. In 2012, Ferran Soriano, who used to be a vice president at Barcelona, became the CEO of Manchester City. This led Garber to talk to him about a New York City team. In December 2012, news spread that Manchester City was close to owning the 20th MLS team. The name "New York City Football Club" was even trademarked.

Manchester City, working with the New York Yankees baseball team, paid $100 million to join the league. New York City Football Club, LLC was officially registered on May 7, 2013. On May 21, the team was officially announced as the 20th MLS team.

On May 22, 2013, the club hired Claudio Reyna as its director of football operations. He was in charge of finding coaches and players. Reyna used to play for the U.S. national team and Manchester City. He also played for the nearby New York Red Bulls.

On December 11, 2013, Jason Kreis was named the first head coach of the new team. He had just finished his contract with Real Salt Lake. Kreis started his job on January 1, 2014. He first traveled to Manchester, England, to learn about the team's owners.

On June 2, 2014, the club announced that World Cup winner David Villa from Spain had signed as their first player. While waiting for the 2015 MLS season, Villa was loaned to Melbourne City, another club owned by City Football Group. On July 24, 2014, New York City announced that former England star Frank Lampard would join them. He was a "Designated Player," meaning his salary didn't count fully against the team's salary cap. On July 6, 2015, the club signed Italian star Andrea Pirlo from Juventus as their third Designated Player.

In the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, New York City had the second pick. They chose forward Khiry Shelton.

First Seasons and Playoff Challenges (2015–2020)

New York City FC played their first league game on March 8, 2015, against another new team, Orlando City SC. The game ended in a 1–1 tie. A week later, they won their first home game against New England Revolution. However, the team then went on an eleven-game streak without a win. They finally won on June 16, beating the Philadelphia Union 2–1.

New York City was knocked out of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the fourth round by the New York Cosmos. The team finished 8th in the Eastern Conference. After the season, coach Jason Kreis was let go on November 2. A week later, Patrick Vieira became the new head coach.

Patrick Vieira was the second head coach for NYCFC.

Under Vieira, the club had a much better season in 2016. They traded for Jack Harrison, who became a key player. David Villa played very well, scoring 23 goals and winning the league's MVP Award. New York City made the playoffs for the first time. They lost to Toronto in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. After the season, Frank Lampard left the club.

In 2017, the club signed Argentine midfielder Maximiliano Moralez and Alexander Ring. These two players became very important in the midfield. The club finished second in the league for the Supporters' Shield, which goes to the team with the best regular season record. They earned a record 57 points. However, they were again knocked out of the playoffs in the conference semi-finals by the Columbus Crew.

After the 2017 season, New York City changed many players. Ten senior players left, including Andrea Pirlo, who retired. Paraguayan player Jesus Medina joined as a Designated Player. The team also brought up young players like Jonathan Lewis and James Sands, who was the club's first "Homegrown Player" (meaning he grew up playing in the club's youth system). They also signed defender Anton Tinnerholm from Sweden.

David Villa is the club's all-time top goalscorer.

In the middle of the 2018 season, coach Vieira left to coach in France. Pep Guardiola's long-time assistant, Domènec Torrent, took over as coach. Torrent won his first game. The team also signed Valentín Castellanos on loan, who scored in his first game. Despite some good performances, the team again lost in the second round of the playoffs in 2018.

After the 2018 season, many players left, including club legend David Villa, who joined a team in Japan. Alexander Ring became the new captain. The club then made Castellanos's loan deal permanent. They also signed Alexandru Mitriță from Romania as their third Designated Player. He was one of the most expensive players in MLS history. Later, they signed Brazilian forward Héber and Scottish forward Gary Mackay-Steven.

In 2019, the team finished first in the Eastern Conference for the first time. However, they again failed in the playoffs, losing to Toronto. After this, coach Torrent left the club. Héber won Newcomer of the Year.

At the start of 2020, Sporting Director Claudio Reyna left the club. David Lee took over his role. On January 28, 2020, New York City signed Icelandic midfielder Guðmundur Þórarinsson. The club also announced Ronny Deila as the new head coach.

New York City started the 2020 season by playing in the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time. They reached the quarter-finals. The 2020 MLS season was stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When play returned, New York City played in the MLS is Back Tournament. They reached the quarter-finals but lost. In the regular season, they finished fifth in the Eastern Conference and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

MLS Cup and Campeones Cup Winners (2021–Present)

After the 2020 season, several players left, including captain Alexander Ring. The club signed new players like Malte Amundsen, Alfredo Morales, and young Brazilian players Thiago Andrade and Talles Magno. They also loaned Uruguayan midfielder Santiago Rodríguez.

The 2021 season started a bit slowly for NYCFC. By the end of August, they were in fourth place. However, they struggled in September and October, winning only one game in nine. The team then won their next three games and tied one, moving into fourth place for the playoffs. Valentín Castellanos finished the season as the league's top scorer with 19 goals.

New York City started the playoffs by beating Atlanta United FC 2–0. Then, they had a very exciting win against the Supporters Shield winners New England Revolution. After a 2–2 tie, NYCFC won 5–3 in a penalty shootout. This was their first playoff win on the road. In the Eastern Conference finals, New York City beat the Philadelphia Union 2–1 with a late goal.

The club then played against Portland Timbers in their first ever MLS Cup final. NYCFC scored first, but Portland tied the game in the very last minute. After extra time, the game went to a penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Sean Johnson saved two penalties, and Alexander Callens scored the winning penalty. New York City won 4–2 in the shootout, claiming their first MLS Cup title! This was the first MLS championship for a New York team. It was also the first top soccer championship for a New York team since the New York Cosmos won in 1982.

Because they won the MLS Cup, NYCFC got to play in the 2022 Campeones Cup. They beat Mexican team Atlas to win their first international trophy. This made them the first New York-based club to win an international soccer trophy.

Team Colors and Badge

The badge used when the club first started.

When the team was announced in 2013, they didn't immediately show their colors or badge. They used a simple blue circle with "New York City FC" written on it.

The club wanted to create its own unique identity. However, their website and social media often used the sky blue of Manchester City and the navy blue of the New York Yankees. Many people thought the team's colors would be similar to Manchester City's sky blue.

On February 4, 2014, the club announced they would let fans vote on the official club badge. They planned to release two designs. New York City's website also started a "Badge of Badges" campaign. Fans could create their own crests, and all entries would be part of a mosaic of the final badge.

The two badge options were shown on March 10. Both were designed by Matthew Wolff. The club also announced its official colors: navy blue, sky blue, and orange. The orange color is a tribute to New York City's Dutch beginnings. It is the same shade found in the city's flag. Fans voted for three days, and the winning design was announced on March 20.

The shape of the NYCFC badge looks like a New York City Subway token. It has the club name written around the outside in a font called Gotham, which is common in the city. This design later inspired the badges for many other clubs owned by City Football Group, like Melbourne City FC and Mumbai City FC.

On March 5, 2024, the club announced a "refreshed" look. This included darker navy and brighter light blue colors, new secondary colors, and new soccer and New York-themed icons. They also introduced two new custom fonts based on old subway signs. The badge itself stayed mostly the same at first, but with the updated colors. The club also said they would use the full name "New York City FC" more often, rather than just "NYCFC."

A new version of the badge was shown on September 9, 2024. It uses one of the new custom fonts and a simpler "NYC" design. This new badge will be used starting January 1, 2025.

Team Uniforms (Kits)

On November 13, 2014, New York City showed off its first home jersey in Manhattan. On November 24, the away jersey was revealed. It was black with sky blue and orange trim. It had five black stripes to represent the five boroughs of New York City.

For the club's second season, a new away uniform was introduced. It was all navy blue with orange trim. The home uniform stayed mostly the same, but with sky blue socks. On January 7, 2017, the club showed its second home uniform, which had a sky blue shirt and navy blue shorts. A small New York City flag was on the front of the shirt. The club's third away uniform was revealed on February 7, 2018. This kit was mostly gray with sky blue details, inspired by the city's buildings.

Kit Suppliers and Shirt Sponsors

City Football Group's sponsor, Etihad Airways, was announced as New York City's first jersey sponsor on November 13, 2014. This was at the same event where the club's first jersey was shown.

Broadcasting Games

One of the club's first announcements was on October 3, 2013. They signed a deal with WFAN to broadcast English-language radio commentary for their games in the New York area. A year later, on December 18, 2014, the club announced a deal with the YES Network to show all home and away games on TV. This deal also included free online streaming of games. Since the New York Yankees (who co-own NYCFC) also partly own YES, these deals were not a surprise.

From 2023, every New York City match can be watched on MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app.

Home Stadiums

The club currently plays most of its home games at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

On April 21, 2014, the club said they would play their first home games at Yankee Stadium. They also said they were planning for a future stadium.

Before the team was officially announced, MLS wanted to build a soccer stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens. But there was opposition to building on park land, and the New York Mets (who play nearby) also objected. So, that idea was dropped. The team then thought about building a stadium next to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. In 2015, a lawyer for the club said they had given up on the Bronx site.

On August 17, 2017, the club looked at a site at Belmont Park on Long Island for a possible stadium. However, on December 19, 2017, that site was chosen for a new arena for the New York Islanders hockey team. This ended NYCFC's plans for a stadium there.

On September 23, 2017, New York City played a home game in East Hartford, Connecticut, because Yankee Stadium was not available.

Citi Field before a New York City FC match.

On October 22, 2017, New York City played their last regular season home game at Citi Field in Queens. This was also due to a scheduling conflict with a Yankees game.

In April 2018, new plans for a 26,000-seat stadium in the south Bronx were shown. However, the club president later said they were focusing on other sites.

In 2020, NYCFC used Red Bull Arena for some games. This was because Yankee Stadium and Citi Field were not available. They also used Red Bull Arena for more home games in 2021 due to scheduling issues.

In 2022, when NYCFC played in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, they found out that Yankee Stadium and Citi Field were not approved for those games. So, they had to play some Champions League matches at other approved stadiums, like Red Bull Arena, or even in Los Angeles and East Hartford.

In November 2022, New York City FC reached an agreement to build Etihad Park. This will be a 25,000-seat stadium in Willets Point, Queens. It is expected to be finished in 2027.

Team Culture

Supporters

New York City FC's official fan group, The Third Rail, started forming after the club was announced in May 2013. Fans met through social media and at events. Before the team's first season, the group had 1,600 members. The group works independently but is recognized by the club. They have a special section at Yankee Stadium. The name "Third Rail" comes from the New York City Subway system, showing their desire to "power NYCFC."

Before the club started playing in March 2015, they had already sold over 14,000 season tickets. By April 2015, sales reached 16,000. In October of that year, the club announced they had sold 20,000 season tickets for their first season.

On April 29, 2017, NYCSC (New York City Supporters Club) became the club's second official fan group. However, NYCFC officially stopped working with NYCSC on February 13, 2020.

After two years, the club recognized Los Templados #12 as its new second official fan group on February 11, 2022.

Rivalries

The Hudson River Derby played at the Red Bull Arena in 2016.

In May 2015, New York City FC played their first game against the New York Red Bulls. This created a true local rivalry in MLS. At first, some thought it was a "made-up" rivalry. But the games quickly became very intense. The Red Bulls won the first game. There have been fights between fans of the two teams before and after matches. This rivalry is known as the Hudson River Derby.

Besides their rivalry with the Red Bulls, NYCFC has also developed a rivalry with the Philadelphia Union. This is common for teams from New York and Philadelphia in other sports too. The rivalry grew stronger after New York City controversially beat the Union in the 2021 Eastern Conference Final. The Union had many players out due to COVID-19 rules. The rivalry continued when the two teams met again in the 2022 Eastern Conference Final the next season, with the Union winning that time.

Players and Staff

Current Roster

No. Position Player 1 GK Luis Barraza 2 DF Rio Hope-Gund 5 DF Birk Risa 6 MF James Sands 7 FW Jovan Mijatović 8 MF Andrés Perea 9 FW Monsef Bakrar 10 MF Santiago Rodríguez 11 FW Julián Fernández 12 DF Strahinja Tanasijević 13 DF Thiago Martins 16 FW Alonso Martínez 17 FW Hannes Wolf 18 DF Christian McFarlane 22 DF Kevin O'Toole

No. Position Player 24 DF Tayvon Gray 26 FW Agustín Ojeda 27 MF Maxi Moralez 29 MF Máximo Carrizo 30 GK Tomás Romero 32 MF Jonny Shore 35 DF Mitja Ilenič 36 FW Zidane Yañez 38 DF Drew Baiera 44 GK Alex Rando 49 GK Matt Freese 55 MF Keaton Parks 80 MF Justin Haak 88 FW Malachi Jones

Players on Loan

No. Position Player 8 FW Thiago Andrade (at Shenzhen Peng City) 26 MF Nicolás Acevedo (at Bahia) 43 FW Talles Magno (at Corinthians)

Current Coaching Staff

Club Leaders (Executives)

Youth Programs and Partner Clubs

The USL team Wilmington Hammerheads was New York City's first partner club, starting in 2015. In 2016, the club also partnered with the Long Island Rough Riders. After the Wilmington Hammerheads became an amateur team, New York City partnered with San Antonio in 2017.

New York City also started building its youth development program in April 2014. They partnered with eight local youth soccer clubs. In February 2015, the club officially announced its own academy, starting with teams for players aged 13 and 14. The academy had its first big success in 2017 when the U-16 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. This was the first major trophy won by New York City FC in any way.

Team Records and Statistics

For a full history of each season, see List of New York City FC seasons.

Season	League											Position		Playoffs	USOC	Continental / Other		Average attendance	Top Goalscorer(s)
	Div	League	Pld	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD	Pts	PPG	Conf.	Overall						Name(s)	Goals
2015	1	MLS	34	10	17	7	49	58	–9	37	1.09	8th	17th	DNQ	R4	DNE		29,016	David Villa	18
2016		MLS	34	15	10	9	62	57	+5	54	1.59	2nd	4th	QF	R4	DNQ		27,196	David Villa	23
2017		MLS	34	16	9	9	56	43	+13	57	1.68	2nd	2nd	QF	R4			22,177	David Villa	24
2018		MLS	34	16	10	8	59	45	+14	56	1.65	3rd	7th	QF	R4			23,211	David Villa	15
2019		MLS	34	18	6	10	63	42	+21	64	1.88	1st	2nd	QF	QF			21,107	Héber	15
2020		MLS	23	12	8	3	37	25	+12	39	1.70	5th	7th	R1	NH	CONCACAF Champions League MLS is Back Tournament	QF QF	N/A	Valentín Castellanos Jesús Medina	7
2021		MLS	34	14	11	9	56	36	+20	51	1.5	4th	8th	W	NH	2021 Leagues Cup	QF	N/A	Valentín Castellanos	23
2022		MLS	34	16	11	7	57	41	+16	55	1.62	3rd	5th	SF	QF	Campeones Cup	W	17,180	Valentín Castellanos	13
2023		MLS	34	9	11	14	35	39	-4	41	1.21	11th	22nd	DNQ	RO32	Leagues Cup	RO32	19,816	Gabriel Pereira	6
Total	–	–	295	126	93	76	474	386	+88	454	1.54	–	–	–	–	–		22,815	David Villa	80

1. Avg. attendance includes statistics from league matches only.
2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, MLS Cup Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, MLS is Back Tournament, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

International Competitions

Scores and results list New York City FC's goal tally first.

Year	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2020	CONCACAF Champions League	Round of 16	San Carlos	1–0	5–3	6–3
		Quarter-finals	UANL	0–1	0–4	0–5
2022		Round of 16	Santos de Guápiles	4–0	2–0	6–0
		Quarter-finals	Comunicaciones	3–1	2–4	5–5 (A)
		Semi-finals	Seattle Sounders FC	1–1	1-3	2-4

Head Coaches

• Includes regular season, playoff, CONCACAF Champions League, U.S. Open Cup and MLS is Back Tournament games.

As of October 31, 2022

All-Time New York City Coaching Stats

Coach	Nationality	Years Coached	Games	Wins	Losses	Ties	Win %
Jason Kreis	United States	December 11, 2013 – November 2, 2015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.57000028.57
Patrick Vieira	France	January 1, 2016 – June 11, 2018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&090.&&&&&090	&&&&&&&&&&&&&040.&&&&&040	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.44000044.44
Domènec Torrent	Spain	June 12, 2018 – November 8, 2019	&&&&&&&&&&&&&045.&&&&&045	&&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020	&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.44000044.44
Ronny Deila	Norway	January 6, 2020 – June 13, 2022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&089.&&&&&089	&&&&&&&&&&&&&043.&&&&&043	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028	&&&&&&&&&&&&&048.31000048.31
Nick Cushing	England	June 13, 2022 – Present	&&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09	&&&&&&&&&&&&&041.67000041.67

Team Captains

Name	Nationality	Years as Captain
David Villa	Spain	2015–2019
Alexander Ring	Finland	2019–2021
Sean Johnson	United States	2021–2023
Thiago Martins	Brazil	2023-

Average Attendance at Games

Team Honors and Trophies

National Titles

• MLS Cup
  • Champions: 2021
• Supporters' Shield
  • Runners-up (finished second): 2017, 2019
• Eastern Conference (Playoff)
  • Champions: 2021
  • Runners-up (finished second): 2022

Regional Titles

• Campeones Cup
  • Champions: 2022

See also

In Spanish: New York City Football Club para niños

• Soccer in the New York metropolitan area
• Manchester City
• Melbourne City
• Montevideo City Torque
• Mumbai City
• Soccer in New York City
• Expansion of Major League Soccer