NEW YORK—To celebrate winning the Audi 2021 MLS Cup – Major League Soccer’s most important trophy – for the first time in Club history, New York City Football Club (NYCFC) today announced the City will host a ceremony on the steps of City Hall to honor the team and present them with keys to the City tomorrow, December 14th at 12:00 PM.
“This is a historic win for NYCFC and for New York City,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The grit, tenacity, and resiliency this team has displayed this season and in the final game has been an inspiration. On behalf of 8.8 million New Yorkers, congratulations to our champions! We can’t wait to celebrate with you at City Hall.”
“We knew the journey to becoming Champions would not be easy, and we took the responsibility of playing ‘For the City’ seriously. We can’t wait to bring our City's trophy to the steps of City Hall and celebrate together,” said NYCFC CEO Brad Sims.
A limited number of tickets will be available to the general public to attend the ceremony at City Hall celebrating the NYCFC. Registration for the general public is first come, first served and will open today, December 13th at 12:00 PM here. Tickets are free; tickets are not for sale or resale.
On Tuesday, December 14th, City Hall gates will open for ticket holders at 10:00 AM before the ceremony starts at 12:00 PM. COVID safety protocols for the event are outlined below. Fans can watch the livestream of the full ceremony here.
2021 has been an incredible year for NYCFC – the only Major League Soccer (MLS) team to play in the five boroughs. This season, the Club won the MLS Eastern Conference for the first time in Club history, and Taty Castellanos was named the 2021 Golden Boot Winner for the most goals scored across the League. On Saturday, December 11th, NYCFC made more history as they participated in their first ever MLS Cup Final against the Portland Timbers. NYCFC won a dramatic championship match after extra time and then penalties. After nine kicks, NYCFC was crowned NYCFC 2021 MLS Cup Champions and are bringing the MLS Cup trophy back home to NYC.
2021 was also a historic year for the Club off-the-pitch. Through the New York City Soccer Initiative (NYCSI), NYCFC – along with partners at the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, U.S. Soccer Foundation, adidas, and Etihad Airways – opened its 50th mini soccer pitch in high need areas across the five boroughs to support local communities.
Since the public-private partnership was launched in 2016, the initiative has offered free soccer programming to the next generation of New Yorkers and helped spur other cities—including Chicago and Newark—to launch their own initiatives to create mini-pitches and expand access to free, high-quality programs. This year, NYCSI also announced that the Initiative will expand that commitment to build and program 26 more mini-pitches in the lead up to the 2026 World Cup which will be hosted across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. This builds on several other partnerships that City in the Community (CITC)—the foundation proudly supported by NYCFC, has with city agencies.
COVID Safety Protocols for City Hall Event on December 14, 2021
All attendees, ages five and up, must bring proof of vaccination and a matching photo ID to enter the outdoor City Hall ceremony. Unvaccinated minors under age five must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult.
Proof of vaccination for attendees ages 5 to 11 must show that they have received at least one dose of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or World Health Organization (WHO) approved COVID-19 vaccine. These are Pfizer or Sinovac.
Proof of vaccination for attendees ages 12 and up must show that they have received at least two doses of an FDA or WHO approved COVID-19 vaccine. These are Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford, Sinopharm or Sinovac, or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson.
Persons who are unable to get vaccinated because of a disability will be required to: sign an attestation to that effect to enter the ceremony; present proof of a negative COVID PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test taken within 72 hours prior to the event; and if medically able to tolerate a face-covering, wear a mask for the entire duration of the event.
Sufficient proof of vaccination may be demonstrated by showing: NYC COVID Safe App, New York State Excelsior App, CLEAR’s Digital Vaccine Card, CLEAR Health Pass, or a photo or hard copy of their CDC vaccination card, or an official vaccination record of a vaccine administered outside the United States.
