New York City FC will get an impressive new arena whose name reflects a strategic partnership with Etihad Airways. The 25,000-seater, $780 mln stadium will open its doors in 2027.

Partnership that dates back to early days of New York City FC

New York City FC has announced that their new stadium, under construction in New York's Willets Point, will be called Etihad Park. This is the result of a 20-year agreement with Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates. The stadium, scheduled to be inaugurated in 2027, is expected to hold 25,000 spectators.

Brad Sims, president of NYCFC, stresses that the revenue from the Etihad deal will go directly to the MLS club, without the involvement of the parent company, City Football Group, or its affiliated Manchester City. It is worth recalling that the English giant's stadium has also been named Etihad Stadium since 2011.

Etihad Airways is a long-standing partner of NYCFC. It has been the team's shirt sponsor since 2014, and the partnership also includes community initiatives and strategic support in the New York market. Sims points out that the decision to name the stadium was a natural choice. Etihad Airways has been essentially our premiere, our principal and founding partner since Day 1 at the club here... We wanted to ideally stay with someone who is a current partner of New York City FC and or someone in the City Football Group family but Etihad was easily kind of the No. 1 focus that we've had all along says Sims.

© New York City FC

New home for NYCFC

NYCFC's new stadium is part of the larger Willets Point regeneration project, which includes the construction of 2,500 residential units, a public school, hotel and retail spaces. The development, approved by the New York City Council in April, is expected to breathe new life into this part of the metropolis.

Construction of the stadium is scheduled to begin at the end of the year, and site preparations are already underway. The ambitious project also becomes part of a broader vision for Willets Point as a place where New Yorkers will be able to live, work and spend their leisure time.

Since 2015, NYCFC has played its matches primarily at Yankee Stadium, but schedules have often forced the team to use other arenas such as Citi Field or Rentschler Field in Connecticut. The new stadium will avoid such problems and create a true home for the team. Sims notes that the schedule of games will have to be adapted to the neighbourhood with Citi Field; when NYCFC plays earlier, there must be a six-hour buffer before the Mets game. If the Mets play first, a seven-hour break is required before football begins.

The construction of Etihad Park opens up new opportunities for NYCFC. One of them could be the transition of the MLS to a calendar compatible with the European leagues, which includes games from August to May. Sims stresses that the new stadium will give the club an advantage, even in the winter months. There's a lot of pros to doing that. The cons mostly reside in cold-weather cities that have outdoor stadiums - he adds.

© New York City FC

World Cup benefits for NYCFC fans

On the horizon for the football world is the 2026 World Cup, which will also be held in the United States. Sims announced that MLS season pass holders will gain priority access to tickets for World Cup matches. This is an additional perk to attract new fans to NYCFC and increase interest in club membership.