As the franchise rolls out the interior design for its flagship project, NYCFC CEO Brad Sims has set the bar extremely high for the impact of a soccer-specific stadium in Queens.
“In my opinion, and it's a biased opinion, New York City FC should absolutely be the flagship team of Major League Soccer,” Sims told the Post. “What's holding us back is we don't have our own stadium. Once we have what I believe will be a soccer mecca for New York City and the country, there will be no more excuses. There will be nothing holding us back.”
“We're going to have this amazing venue, and I think we're going to have the hottest ticket in town.”
The reported $780 million stadium, which will be privately funded and by far the most expensive MLS venue, is scheduled to open in 2027 across from Citi Field in Queens.
The project has been delayed and reconsidered multiple times since New York City FC debuted in 2015, as political red tape and a succession of mayors stymied plans to build a stadium adjacent to Yankee Stadium.
Sims believes that in the Willett Point salvage yard, NYCFC has found an ideal location with access to public transportation and an established soccer fanbase.
He was unsure about the strategy of signing a key player for Opening Day in 2027, but said he was “definitely” open to the possibility.
New York City FC
“If we are to reach our potential as a club in the long term, we need to attract mainstream fans and significantly expand our current fan base,” Sims said, “and I think the best way to do that is by signing a marquee player.”
“So, internally, we haven't decided yet what the team will be in 2027 or even 2026. It's not a big focus for us because right now we want players that fit our strategy, our system and we're happy with our team. But it's something we're considering. It's definitely something we're considering.”
NYCFC, the 2021 MLS champions, have enjoyed success in soccer after a rocky start in their early years.
The initial squad-building strategy was to sign older international stars, but it largely backfired.
David Villa, the club's first acquisition in 2015, went on to be a powerful goalscorer in MLS but was later accused of sexually harassing a NYCFC intern.
Frank Lampard never seemed interested in him playing for NYCFC, and he made just 29 appearances over two seasons after postponing his debut in order to preserve his career in the fading English Premier League.
Legendary Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo was too old and out of his prime by the time he arrived in New York.
Those players did not appear in Tuesday's highlight video chronicling the franchise's history.
The footage was shown to media before NYCFC unveiled its premium seating configuration and a miniature model of the arena.
“We started the club with some pretty major stars, but they had three terrible years on the pitch leading up to last year,” said Sims, who joined NYCFC in 2017 after serving as an executive with the Cavaliers during LeBron James' championship-winning era. “Eventually, we turned things around and won a championship with a team that didn't have any so-called stars.”
“And some of the teams in the league, like the LA Galaxy, have a brand promise to their fans that is, 'We're going to bring in some big-name, aging superstars for you to come watch.' … We wanted our brand promise to our fans to be to win consistently. And since 2016, we've won the most points in MLS.”
But in terms of popularity and generating revenue, NYCFC has not been able to capitalize on its success while playing home games in baseball venues, primarily Yankee Stadium.
They even had to “host” the contest at rival Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.
If all goes according to plan, the issue will be resolved in 2027.
Sims also expressed his desire to bring a professional women's team to the new stadium in Queens.
“The long-term viability of a franchise means it's not viable to be a tenant,” Sims said. “The revenue streams that would come from being a tenant are in areas where we compete with landlords, like naming rights, stadium rights and sponsorships. Yankee Stadium and Citi Field are great partners, but they were designed for baseball.”
“It's really important to have control.”
