Fresh off capturing an NWSL title and CONCACAF W Champions Cup crown, Gotham FC are set to take the stage at Citi Field in the Queens Classic as they look to expand their footprint in the New York City market.

The big stage baseball diamond of Citi Field is a fitting venue for the Bats to engage in a July 15 rematch of last November’s NWSL championship game against the runner-up Washington Spirit.

With Gotham’s popularity on the rise and last year’s championship match gaining 22 percent increased viewership compared to 2024, the Bats hope to capitalize on the momentum by deepening their roots across New Jersey, within five boroughs, Long Island and beyond.

Gotham defenders Jess Carter and Tierna Davidson know that when first-time fans have the opportunity to watch them up close and interact with them and their teammates, they often become fans for life.

“This is an incredible opportunity to be able to showcase hopefully not only what we can do on the pitch, who we are as a club, who we are as people,” Carter said. “The fact that we want to give a lot back to the community as well and our fans having an incredible experience is really important for us.”

Citi Field’s Queens Classic: A Stage for Gotham Growth

Under Citi Field’s bright stadium lights, Gotham will have the chance to show newcoming spectators the entertaining and fluid football that’s won the hearts of loyal supporters who show up every matchday to Harrison, New Jersey’s Sports Illustrated Stadium.

“Any opportunity to be in front of new fans is an opportunity for us to recruit fans and to get people interested and excited and wanting to come back,” Davidson said. “We have a product that I think is very exciting. We have fantastic players individually that people love to follow, but I think that’s reflected when we create a really entertaining game.

“We hope that people see that as they’re coming to this Citi Field game and want to follow us back out to Sports Illustrated [Stadium]. I think it’s always a fantastic opportunity to be in front of new fans, in front of families. We want those kids to bug their parents and say, “Hey, can we go to a Gotham game? We want to see this, we want to see that, I love this Gotham player.” That’s something we’re looking to see. We’re hopeful for that.”

Key Players Will Make the Queens Classic a Must-Attend Event

The Queens Classic has all the ingredients to be a success. Gotham and Washington have played combative, high-stakes matches in recent years, and their rivalry is growing.

There’s recognizable United States women’s national team regulars on both sides, including Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, Jaedyn Shaw, Lilly Reale, Tara Rudd and Davidson. Add in international talents like Esther González, Leicy Santos, Guro Reiten, Gift Monday, Ann-Katrin Berger and Carter — and fans attending the midsummer match will be treated to a galaxy of stars competing on a single pitch.

“I’m really excited about getting to play in New York City. It’s a new challenge,” Carter said. “It’s going to be something new. It’s a new stadium [for us to play in] and a new fan base [for us to play in front of]. Hopefully, the fans will all be in our corner.

“There’s going to be people who haven’t watched women’s football or haven’t watched Gotham play. That’s really exciting, and hopefully we create some new fans, and we can bring them all back to Sports Illustrated [Stadium] with us and hopefully have some more games in the city at some point.”

The buzz is growing around Gotham, around the Spirit and throughout NWSL markets as a whole. It wouldn’t be surprising if “The Empire vs. The District” rivalry plays its latest installment in front of a packed house.

Tickets for the July showdown between Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit at Citi Field will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, March 25, at GothamFC.com/Tickets and Mets.com/GothamFC.

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