New York City FC

Foundation

In early 2006, Major League Soccer had an interest in placing a second team in the New York City area. This followed the expiry of MetroStars' exclusive territorial rights as a condition of the club's sale to Red Bull GmbH and the creation of New York Red Bulls. By 2007, the league had held talks with several groups, including New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon and his family, about owning the second New York franchise. The Wilpons' interest in MLS reportedly faded following the family's losses in the Madoff investment scandal, but the league continued to look for investors.

In 2010, MLS commissioner Don Garber officially announced the league's intent to make its 20th franchise a second team in the New York area. At that point, the league hoped to have the new team beginning operations by 2013. Garber also held discussions with the owners of the rebooted New York Cosmos, but they balked at the league's expansion fee and single-entity structure and decided not to apply for entry, instead joining the second-tier North American Soccer League.

Garber had previously cultivated an interest in acquiring investment from a major European soccer club to be owners of a future franchise, and in December 2008, he announced a bid for a Miami expansion team led by Barcelona. The team was to begin play in 2010 if accepted, however, the bid eventually fell through. Garber also briefly discussed Barcelona investing in a New York franchise, before moving the focus to Miami.

In 2012, Ferran Soriano, Barcelona's vice president at the time of the Miami bid, was appointed Manchester City CEO, prompting Garber to reach out to him about a New York City team. In December 2012, unnamed sources told the media that Manchester City were close to being announced as the new owners of the 20th team of MLS, and the brand name "New York City Football Club" was trademarked, although the club quickly denied the report. However, Garber announced in March 2013 that he was almost ready to unveil the new expansion team.

Manchester City, in association with the New York Yankees baseball team, paid the $100 million expansion fee to join the league. New York City Football Club, LLC was also registered with the New York State Department on May 7, 2013, and on May 21, the team was officially announced as the 20th Major League Soccer franchise.

On May 22, 2013, the club named former United States and Manchester City midfielder Claudio Reyna as its director of football operations, responsible for coaching staff and player recruitment ahead of the team's inaugural MLS season in 2015. Reyna, a New Jersey native, also played for the nearby New York Red Bulls. He said he had begun identifying candidates to be the club's head coach, but would not name one in 2013. The team announced an English-language radio deal with WFAN on October 3, 2013.

The club made their first recruitment dealing in off-field matters on September 6, 2013, when they hired former Rutgers University Athletic Director Tim Pernetti to serve as Chief Business Officer, part of a five-year deal with the university. Further hirings were made in mid-November, when three experienced administrators were appointed to vice president roles.

On December 11, 2013, Jason Kreis was announced as the first head coach of the new franchise, having reached the end of his contract at Real Salt Lake and declined an extension. The move came just four days after he missed out on lifting his second MLS Cup with the Utah team, losing on penalties to Sporting Kansas City. It was revealed in the announcement that his contract, starting on January 1, 2014, would see him begin by traveling to Manchester, England, to familiarize himself with the set-up of the franchise owners. Kreis' official unveiling was made at a press conference on January 10, 2014, where he made it public that his former assistant Miles Joseph had joined him at the club.

On June 2, 2014, the club announced that Spanish World Cup-winning striker David Villa had signed as the first ever player. While the team awaited its MLS start in 2015, Villa was loaned to Melbourne City, a club also owned by City Football Group. He was, however, called back after only four matches. On July 24, 2014, New York City announced at a live press conference in Brooklyn that ex-England international and Chelsea all-time top goal scorer Frank Lampard would be joining them as their second Designated Player. Reyna hailed Lampard as "one of the greatest players in world history", while Lampard stated "it is a privilege to be able to help make history here in New York City". On July 6, 2015, the club signed ex-Italian international Andrea Pirlo from Juventus as their third Designated Player.

In the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, as an expansion team, New York City had the second overall pick, choosing Oregon State forward Khiry Shelton as their first pick.

2015–2020: Inaugural season and initial MLS Playoffs failure

An up-and-down pre-season saw them dominate their first ever exhibition match, played against Scotland's St Mirren, with Villa scoring the club's first ever goal in a regulated match, while in the Carolina Challenge Cup, they finished second out of four teams after a slow start ruled out their chances of picking up the non-competitive silverware. Their first ever league game was played on March 8 against fellow expansion side Orlando City SC, with Mix Diskerud scoring their first ever competitive goal in a game which finished 1–1 in front of a packed Citrus Bowl stadium. A week later in their first home game, Villa and Patrick Mullins scored in their first home win against New England Revolution in front of a crowd of 43,507. The team eventually suffered an eleven-game winless streak which ended on June 16, after defeating the Philadelphia Union 2–1.

New York City faced the New York Cosmos in the fourth round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and were eliminated on penalties after playing overtime. The team finished 8th in the Eastern Conference, 17th overall. After the season ended, Kreis was relieved from his head coaching duties on November 2. The team's failure to make the playoffs and the team's second lowest points in the league, were the main factors in his release. A week later, Patrick Vieira was announced as the new head coach of the team.

Under Vieira's stewardship, the club had a remarkable season in 2016. The club began pre-season trading for Jack Harrison, the first overall pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. Harrison made an immediate impact and became a core component of the club in his first year with the team, forming a formidable partnership with Villa. Villa also regained his striking form, eventually becoming the recipient of the league's MVP Award after scoring 23 goals. New York City qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, eventually losing to Toronto in a two-game series in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. Following the season's conclusion, the club parted ways with Lampard, who had become injury prone during his time with the club. 2017 saw a similar season, with the club replacing Lampard with the arrival of Argentine midfielder Maximiliano Moralez as their new, third Designated Player, while Alexander Ring joined from Kaiserslautern, the pair soon becoming stalwarts in midfield. The club, however, became runners-up for the 2017 Supporters' Shield, finishing the regular season with a record of 16–9–9, as well as a record points total of 57. The club again, however, were once again eliminated from the playoffs in the conference semi-finals, losing to the fifth seeded Columbus Crew by a 4–3 goal aggregate.

New York City had then utilized the following off-season in order to undertake an aggressive overhaul of the squad, with ten senior players departing, including perceived starters Mikey Lopez, R. J. Allen, Frédéric Brillant, and Ethan White. Designated Player Andrea Pirlo also departed, announcing his retirement prior to the club's final playoff game against Columbus Crew. He was then replaced with the addition of Paraguayan international Jesus Medina on New Year's Eve, as New York City's third Designated Player. The club further began upon replacing other departing players with the promotions of both Jonathan Lewis, the third-overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, and James Sands, the club's first ever Homegrown Player. Sands also grew up in the nearby city of Rye, New York. Soon after, 2016's Defensive Player of the Year, Rónald Matarrita, extended his contract to remain with the club beyond the 2018 season. The club then made its first acquisition on December 13, with the signing of defender Anton Tinnerholm, who joined from Allsvenskan champions Malmö. Tinnerholm, a Swedish international, is typically deployed as a right-back. The team then acquired another right-back in the form of Saad Abdul-Salaam in a trade with Sporting Kansas City, trading former second overall pick Khiry Shelton, largely considered a bust, on December 14. The club then rounded out the roster with a trio of internationals, as striker Jo Inge Berget, central defender Cédric Hountondji, and speedster Ismael Tajouri-Shradi all joined the team. Brad Stuver was also acquired in a trade with Columbus, in order to provide cover as third-choice goalkeeper. Finally, Ghanaian international Ebenezer Ofori joined on loan from Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart, while the club selected goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell with the nineteenth overall pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft, as they began the season in search of a MLS Cup. The team also conducted business through the season, as they signed Sebastien Ibeagha, a defender who last played for affiliate club San Antonio, after he impressed following a trial.

Midway through the season, however, Vieira would depart the club to return to France, in order to coach at Ligue 1 club Nice. His tenure saw the team adopt a free-flowing, attacking, press-based system, which gained both the team and coach several plaudits from experts, players, and fellow coaches. He departed alongside his band of assistant coaches: Christian Lattanzio, Kristian Wilson and Matt Cook. Vieira was then quickly replaced by Domènec Torrent, Pep Guardiola's long-term assistant coach. Torrent was successful in his first game, securing a 2–1 win at home against Toronto on June 24. The club then added to their roster during the season, with free agent Eloi joining as Torrent's first signing, who arrived from sister club Girona on July 25. The team then concluded a loan deal for youth prospect Valentín Castellanos two days later. Castellanos would score on his debut on August 4. Despite this, Torrent's bright start would eventually fade, and he could only register an additional six victories to close the season, including a period of one win in two months. New York City would eventually qualify for the playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference, but again, were defeated in the second round to conclude the 2018 season. Individually, Moralez shone, and was voted an All-Star for his performances.

The club then underwent another period of transition in the off-season, with several players' options declined on November 29, including cult-hero Tommy McNamara, recent signings Ofori and Eloi, and first team regulars Maxime Chanot and Rodney Wallace. Moreover, Berget's contract with the club was mutually terminated, after just a single season. The club also parted ways with record appearance maker and goalscorer Villa—who had been voted into the MLS Best XI twice and was a four-time MLS All-Star in his four seasons with New York—who joined J-League side Vissel Kobe. Alexander Ring was named the club's second captain after Villa's departure. Later, an option to buy was exercised in Castellanos' loan deal to make his transfer permanent. Chanot was eventually resigned to a multi-year contract on December 8, while Ofori's loan was extended for another season. New York City made their first acquisition, Tony Rocha, just under a week later in a trade with Orlando City SC, whereby the team parted with a fourth-round pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. The club later loaned in U.S. international Keaton Parks in January, who joined from Portuguese side Benfica, while Juan Pablo Torres joined from Belgian Pro League side Lokeren. Meanwhile, Justin Haak was promoted to the senior team as the club's second Homegrown Player. Hountondji was later waived in order to clear a roster spot for the club's 12th overall draft pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, goalkeeper Luis Barraza. New York City then signed Romanian international Alexandru Mitriță as the club's third Designated Player on February 4, for a rumored club-record transfer fee of US$9.1 million, making him also one of the most expensive transfers in MLS history. The club later signed Brazilian forward Héber on March 21, and in June, signed Scottish forward Gary Mackay-Steven on a free transfer from Aberdeen.

Mid-season, the club traded for defender Eric Miller from Minnesota United FC on July 29, for $50,000 in general allocation money. Despite these roster changes, the team again failed in the playoffs, falling to previous MLS Cup champions Toronto, despite the club finishing atop the regular season standings in Eastern Conference for the first time. Following this, the club "mutually parted ways" with head coach Torrent. The club announced its end of season awards on November 12, with Chanot receiving Defensive Player of the Year, while Héber won Newcomer of the Year. Moralez again shone in New York for a second successive season, being voted into the 2019 MLS Best XI.

At the start of the off-season, the team oversaw a number of departures; veteran defender Ben Sweat left after being selected by upstart MLS club Inter Miami CF as their first overall pick in the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft, while Sporting Director Claudio Reyna also left the club, joining expansion side Austin. Reyna was replaced by the in-house promotion of Technical Director David Lee, who assumed the role as Sporting Director. Moreover, the club also announced Homegrown Player Joe Scally would depart to join Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach, effective January 1, 2021. The official transfer fee was undisclosed, although, multiple reports suggested the fee is to be a seven-figure sum that could rise to become one of the highest transfer fees received for a player in MLS history. Soon thereafter, Parks' loan was made permanent, while the club completed the acquisition of Gedion Zelalem on a free transfer. On January 28, 2020, New York City signed Icelandic midfielder Guðmundur Þórarinsson from Swedish club Norrköping, and the club announced the appointment of Ronny Deila as the new head coach; Deila signed a three-year contract.

New York City began the 2020 season with their debut in the CONCACAF Champions League, and advanced to the quarter finals after defeating Costa Rican outfit San Carlos 6–3 over two legs. The club then began the 2020 MLS season with a defeat, losing 1–0 away against Columbus Crew. New York City subsequently announced the signing of Uruguayan midfielder Nicolás Acevedo from Liverpool Montevideo on March 2, 2020. After the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City returned to play in July in the MLS is Back Tournament, where they placed third in Group A, progressing to the quarter-finals before falling to eventual champions Portland Timbers 3–1. They finished at the same stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, losing to Mexican side UANL. In the regular season, New York City also failed to see significant success, finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference and losing to Orlando City in the first round of the playoffs.

2021–present: MLS Cup & Campeones Cup winners

In the subsequent postseason, the club sanctioned the departures of club captain Alexander Ring, leftback Ronald Matarrita, and Gary Mackay-Steven, while former club record transfer Alexandru Mitriță left on loan. The club signed Malte Amundsen in 2021, their first signing of the decade, for a reported fee of $1.6 million, on February 12. The club later completed several additions by June: they drafted Andres Jasson and Vuk Latinovich, signed goalkeeper Cody Mizell, re-signed Zelalem and brought Chris Gloster back to MLS, signed eventual first-team regular Alfredo Morales, and the Brazilian pair Thiago Andrade and Talles Magno; they also loaned Uruguyan midfielder Santiago Rodríguez. Meanwhile, reserve goalkeepers Stuver and Mason Stajduhar departed.

After a start to the season that saw the club slightly struggle while playing multiple home games at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, the team was sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings at the end of August after a 2–0 win over the eventual Supporters Shield winners New England Revolution. The team struggled through September and the beginning of October, winning one game in nine and drawing three others. This included a draw and two losses to the New York Red Bulls and a five-game stretch where the club did not score a goal. As the pressure began to rise on the squad and manager, Ronny Deila, unlikely hero Guðmundur Þórarinsson broke the club's scoreless streak in the 90th minute of a 1–1 draw against Atlanta. The team went on to win the next three games and scrape a draw with 10 men against Philadelphia in the season finale, clawing their way from being temporarily out of the playoffs in mid-October into fourth place going into the playoffs. Valentín Castellanos finished the season as the MLS Golden Boot winner with 19 goals and eight assists.

New York City began the playoffs by beating Atlanta United FC 2–0 at Yankee Stadium, followed by a dramatic win in penalties in Foxboro over Supporters Shield winners New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. After a 2–2 draw after extra time, NYCFC beat the Revolution 5–3 in penalties after Sean Johnson saved an attempt by Adam Buska. It was the first penalty shootout win for New York City in five tries^[] and their first MLS Playoffs win on the road. In the Eastern Conference finals, New York City defeated the Philadelphia Union in a comeback 2–1 win with a late goal in the 88th minute by Talles Magno. Philadelphia was without the services of 11 players in this match due to MLS COVID-19 Health and Safety protocols, while New York City were without star forward Valentin Castellanos due to a red card in the previous match against New England.

The club went on to face Portland Timbers in their first MLS Cup at Providence Park in Portland. After Castellanos began the scoring in the 41st minute, New York City were seconds away from their first title before a dramatic 94th-minute equalizer by Portland's Felipe Mora. After a scoreless extra time, Sean Johnson saved two Portland penalties and New York City prevailed 4–2 in the shootout. Alexander Callens blasted the final penalty into the back of the net for the club's title win. It was the first MLS championship for a team from the New York region and the first title for a New York sports franchise since the New York Giants won Super Bowl XLVI following the 2011 season. Additionally, it was the first top division soccer championship for a New York team since the New York Cosmos won the Soccer Bowl in 1982.

With this victory, the club had earned the right to play in the 2022 Campeones Cup, defeating Mexican side Atlas to win their first international trophy and first New York–based club to do so.