Reigning NWSL champion Gotham FC will be inside N.Y. limits for the first time when they begin to “play home games at Etihad Park in Queens, New York, beginning in 2028,” and NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said it is “indicative of so much of the progress the NWSL has made,” according to Jeff Kassouf of ESPN.com. Berman noted the progress comes “not only from the perspective of playing in the right places in a particular market, but also best-in-class infrastructure.” As part of the agreement with NYCFC, Gotham “will have its own locker room in the stadium.” The NWSL club will also “be able to ‘flip’ the branding of the stadium on matchdays to make the venue feel like it is bespoke thanks to mostly digital signage throughout.” An NWSL team playing in N.Y. proper is also “important for the league commercially as it seeks larger media rights deals and increased sponsorship revenue.” Berman: “We’re going into our next media rights cycle. To have Gotham FC playing in New York City proper is incredibly valuable to the league, and I think it will make it a lot easier for folks to be able to be fans and support the team.” Berman added that Etihad Park “could ‘absolutely’ host an NWSL Championship game one day” (ESPN.com, 7/7).
CAPITALIZING ON THE MOMENTUM: FORTUNE’s Diane Brady writes to capitalize on this moment of soccer fandom amid the 2026 World Cup, Gotham FC is “playing an exhibition game against the Washington Spirit” at Citi Field on July 15. More than “29,000 tickets have sold, 70% of which went to first-time buyers” -- a number that would break a N.Y. attendance record for women’s sports (FORTUNE, 7/7).
