I first saw Red Bull Arena soon after it opened in 2010. It was the only soccer specific stadium in the metropolitan area. Before the opening of the venue the New York MetroStars called Giants Stadium home. To say that watching soccer played on an American Football field is terrible is an understatement.
The Austrian beverage company Red Bull GmbH owns the New York Red Bulls. Red Bull purchased the team in 2006 and changed its name from MetroStars to the New York Red Bulls. They also had plans to build the team its own stadium. (Of course, corporate sponsorship has arrived, and the Red Bulls’ home is now known as Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Other teams owned by Red Bull include RB Leipzig of Germany’s Bundesliga and FC Red Bull Salzburg from Austria.
New York City FC began play in Major League Soccer in 2015. They have called Yankee Stadium home since then. Yankee Stadium is a historic ballpark but is not set up to host soccer matches.
Like Red Bull, New York City FC is part of a conglomerate with a lot of money. In September 2008, Sheikh Mansour's Abu Dhabi United Group purchased Manchester City from Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand, for £200 million.
Other teams that are a part of what’s known as the City Football Group include Melbourne City in Australia, NYCFC and a majority stake in Serie A’s Palermo Football Club. The City Football Group is also involved with many smaller clubs around the globe. The entire group of clubs is sponsored by Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates. (On a side note, I can’t support NYCFC as I am an Arsenal fan in the UK and don’t support Manchester City. Plus with the Yankees having a ten percent stake in NYCFC. The Yankees’ involvement doesn’t sit well with me as a Mets fan.)
NYCFC announced in 2022 that the New York City Council had approved the construction of a new soccer stadium in Willets Point. The area is directly across the street from Citi Field where the New York Mets play. In addition to the stadium, the building plan includes redevelopment to include 2,500 housing units, a new public school, a hotel, and retail stores. The planned opening isn’t until 2027, but the club is already taking deposits for season tickets.
Click on this link for more information and to learn more about NYCFC’s future home in Queens.