New York City FC

New York City FC took its first major trophy on penalties, beating Portland Timbers after a 1-1 draw in the 2021 MLS Cup final. Getting there had not been a straight line: the club lost an Eastern Conference final to Toronto in 2016, and would lose another to Inter Miami in 2025, going down 1-5. The 2021 run was built under Ronny Deila, who took charge in 2019 and stayed through the title before departing the following year; the bench has since passed through Nick Cushing and on to Pascal Jansen, in charge since 2023.

The club was put together in 2013 by Manchester City, through chief executive Ferran Soriano, and Yankee Global Enterprises, the owner of the New York Yankees — a pairing that still shapes who owns it: City Football Group holds 80%, with Marcelo Claure and Yankee Global Enterprises splitting the remaining 20% at 10% each. Without a stadium of its own, NYCFC has played most home games at Yankee Stadium since 2015, added Citi Field to the rotation in 2022, and is due to move into a purpose-built ground, Etihad Park, in 2027.

David Villa signed as the club's first player and left as its record scorer, with 77 goals in 117 appearances and the 2016 MLS MVP award to go with them. Frank Lampard, the club's first captain, was its top scorer in that debut 2015 season, and Andrea Pirlo arrived from Juventus in the same early wave. NYCFC's derby is against New York Red Bulls, played as the Hudson River Derby.

The Supporters' Shield, awarded for the best regular-season record in MLS, is one the club has never won.