Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit are set to play at Citi Field in July

By Canadian Press on March 17, 2026.

NEW YORK (AP) — The National Women’s Soccer League is coming to New York City.

Gotham FC will host the Washington Spirit on July 15 at Citi Field in a game that has been dubbed The Queens Classic. It is the first time an NWSL match will be played in the city.

The clubs are hoping to break the attendance record for a women’s sporting event in New York City. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s singles final attracted more than 28,000 fans.

The game at the home of baseball’s New York Mets is a rematch of the NWSL championship game last season. Gotham downed the Spirit 1-0 on Rose Lavelle’s goal for the title.

The Queens Classic is scheduled four days before the men’s World Cup final, to be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“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,” Ryan Dillon, Gotham’s chief business officer, said in a statement Tuesday. “It will be a history-making summer of soccer, and this event ensures that we are a part of that.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press