NYCFC officially broke ground on their future home, marking the start of the build

New York City FC did not finish the 2024 season the way they wanted to. They were knocked out of the MLS Cup Playoffs by the New York Red Bulls, who will play for the Cup after subsequently beating Orlando City SC. Overall, the season was not good enough, and the club finally sacked Nick Cushing after an underwhelming tenure with the Pigeons.

However, the one good thing about the season being over is that NYCFC is one season closer to playing in their future home, Etihad Park. And finally, two years after the stadium announcement, the building process has begun! The club and New York City officials broke ground on the stadium Wednesday afternoon, starting the long-awaited dream of the club, former and current players, and supporters.

The NYCFC stadium build has begun

This was a fantastic moment for NYCFC. For so long, many thought this day would never arrive. The club was not transparent for many years about the status of the stadium location hunt and what was going on. Thankfully, the process has been moving at an acceptable pace since the stadium was announced in 2022. Breaking ground before 2025 means there is a major chance Etihad Park will open on time in 2027.

Of course, it must be repeated that New York City has had construction slowdowns before, so anything can happen. That does not mean one should not be hopeful. Instead, supporters should be happy and excited since the groundbreaking occurred.

While space was limited for the ceremony, there were some fans there. They expressed their happiness and how long they waited for this moment. There was no question that those there represented the feelings of all NYCFC supporters.

Meanwhile, there were numerous speakers at the event. First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer really captured the magic and importance of the groundbreaking.

"As we break ground on Etihad Park, we are not only building a world-class soccer stadium, but also creating a vibrant, sustainable community in Willets Point that will benefit New Yorkers for generations to come," she said. "This transformational project exemplifies the power of public-private collaboration to deliver affordable housing, good-paying jobs, and a cutting-edge, fully electric sports venue — all while advancing our city’s climate goals."

The stadium and everything under the Willets Point Project will improve the area and hopefully create that fantastic community everyone hopes for. Etihad Park is a great addition and will bring money and jobs to Willets Point. However, the true beauty of the project is everything else that is a part of it.

Nevertheless, the groundbreaking is a tremendous moment in NYCFC history and means a lot to the supporters. There are only a few more seasons of being traveling Pigeons, going from stadium to stadium. Soon, Etihad Park will open, and the team will have their home.