Citi Field to host women’s pro soccer match ahead of World Cup final
Photo courtesy of Gotham FC
Citi Field will host one of women’s professional soccer’s biggest rivalries this summer. On Tuesday, Gotham FC announced that it will face off against the Washington Spirit on July 15 as part of “The Queens Classic,” a highly anticipated rematch of the 2025 NWSL Championship and the first women’s sporting event held at the home of the New York Mets. The match comes four days before the men’s FIFA World Cup Final arrives at MetLife Stadium, adding to the wave of soccer events set to sweep the tri-state region this summer.
Gotham FC, the reigning NWSL champions, featuring four World Cup winners and Olympic gold medalists, will host the Washington Spirit and star forward Trinity Rodman. The match kicks off at 8 p.m. and will air on ESPN, with tickets going on sale on Wednesday, March 25.
“The Queens Classic at Citi Field is a powerful moment for the NWSL and for women’s soccer in the New York area,” Sarah Jones Simmer, chief operating officer of NWSL, said.
“Bringing the reigning NWSL champions Gotham FC together with the Washington Spirit for a championship rematch on such an iconic stage is a testament to the momentum behind our league and the global attention on the sport this summer.”
The event highlights the NWSL’s deliberate push to grow the league and leverage the FIFA World Cup buzz to spotlight women’s professional soccer, as reported by CBS Sports.
“This summer will be transformational for soccer in our region, and we’re really excited to put women’s sports and our world-class athletes at Gotham FC front and center when a global spotlight is on New York. It will be a history-making summer of soccer, and this event ensures that we are a part of that,” Ryan Dillon, chief business officer of Gotham FC, said in a press release.
New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium will host eight FIFA World Cup matches, including five group-stage games on June 13, 16, 22, 26, and 27, a round of 32 match on June 30, a round of 16 match on July 5, and the World Cup Final on July 19.
The news comes as Queens’ first-ever professional soccer stadium was recently selected to host nine soccer games during the 2028 Olympic Games. New York City Football Club’s new Etihad Park stadium, slated to open next year, was named a host venue for the 2028 Summer Olympics soccer tournaments by the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games committees last month, according to QNS.
The 25,000-seat stadium will host eight men’s and women’s group-stage matches on July 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17, as well as a men’s quarterfinal on July 20. Etihad Park is one of seven venues across the United States that will host tournament matches, joining Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San Jose, San Diego, and Pasadena.
“Bringing Olympic football group stage and knockout matches to stadiums across the United States means more fans will witness this global event and experience the Olympic spirit firsthand,” Shana Ferguson, chief of port and games delivery officer for LA28, said in February, as reported by QNS.
Developed by NYCFC, Related Companies, and Sterling Equities and designed by HOK, the stadium is under construction across from Citi Field. Etihad Park will be the first fully electric stadium in Major League Soccer and the first fully electric professional sports stadium in NYC.
The stadium will feature a striking, “activated cube” entranceway, which will be illuminated on match days with vibrant colors and imagery to provide a dynamic experience for visitors. S9 Architecture and Turner Construction Company are design and construction partners on the project, as 6sqft previously reported.
NYCFC is fully funding the stadium’s $780 million construction. The city will lease the land to the team and its development partners for 49 years, with an option to extend the lease by an additional 25 years. It is expected to open just in time for the 2027 season.
Etihad Park is a key component of the ongoing redevelopment of Willets Point. The neighborhood, long known for its junkyards and decades of disinvestment, will be transformed by a sweeping redevelopment plan that includes 2,500 housing units across seven buildings, 1,400 of which will be subsidized or below market rate, making it the largest affordable housing project in NYC in four decades.
The second phase of the development will include a 650-seat public school, 40,000 square feet of public open space, retail space, and a 250-key hotel, as 6sqft previously reported.
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