Construction Breaks Ground On NYC's First Ever Soccer Stadium

NEW YORK CITY — Construction officially broke ground on the city's first professional soccer-specific stadium in Queens on Wednesday.

The 25,000-seat stadium is poised to be ready for the 2027 Major League Soccer season and will be home to New York City Football Club.

The arena, built at a cost of $780 million, will be part of the Willets Point redevelopment, which is expected to bring in 15,000 jobs, 2,500 units of affordable housing and over 40,000 square feet of new public space, among other things.

"We are breaking ground on Etihad Park — our city’s first-ever soccer-specific stadium — for NYCFC to call home and finally deliver New Yorkers the soccer stadium they deserve,” Mayor Eric Adams said. "This stadium is part of our Willets Point Transformation, building a neighborhood with more housing, public space, and a new school out of the Valley of Ashes."

Last month, NYCFC announced it was partnering with Etihad Airways for the naming rights of its new stadium.

Etihad Park will be the first fully-electric stadium across the nation.

“This is a historic moment for New York City FC, Major League Soccer, and everyone who has believed in the promise of soccer in America,” said Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer. “We’ve always known that a world-class soccer stadium belongs in New York City. "