Thousands of New York City Football Club (NYCFC) fans packed Citi Field on Saturday, Apr. 6, for the team’s first game in Queens of the season against Atlanta United FC.

Fans from across the five boroughs packed Citi Field to support their “Boys in Blue” for an eventful night. Kick-off was scheduled for 7 p.m., but fans, especially from NYCFC’s official supporter groups, arrived early for pregame celebrations outside the stadium.

One notable group, The Third Rail, hosted tailgate parties near Citi Field. Andrew Tucker, the group’s president and a loyal NYCFC fan since 2015, expressed his preference for hosting tailgates within Citi Field’s ample parking lot, which is impossible at Yankee Stadium. He emphasized the importance of these gatherings in building excitement before the games, with hundreds attending.

NYCFC has a large South American fan base represented by other tailgate groups, one of them being Los Templados. Jonathan Salas, known as “Joty” to his club members, is one of its founders.

The NYCFC home matches at Citi Field come in anticipation of the proposed Willets Point Stadium across the street from the home of the New York Mets on Seaver Way — a fixture that would make Queens the permanent home for the soccer club.

On Apr. 11, the city council greenlit the redevelopment project for the new 25,000-seat soccer stadium for the New York City Football Club (NYCFC) along with a 2,500-unit affordable housing complex—the city’s largest in 40 years. NYCFC, which has historically played at Yankee Stadium or Citi Field, will privately finance the fully-electric arena, a first in Major League Soccer. The stadium is slated to open for the 2027 MLS season.

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