Soccer in the New York metropolitan area
The sport of soccer has a long history in New York City, beginning in the 1910s with the first iteration of the American Soccer League. In the 1970s, with the rise of the first iteration of the North American Soccer League, the New York Cosmos became one of the most recognizable brands in American soccer.
Presently, there are five professional soccer clubs in the New York City region, fielding six teams in various leagues. New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls play in the top mens division, Major League Soccer, while their reserve teams New York Red Bulls II and New York City FC II compete in the third tier league MLS Next Pro. Also in the third tier is Westchester SC, which plays their matches in Westchester County as a member of the USL League One. There are two first divisions for women in the United States, and both are represented by clubs in the metropolitan area: NJ/NY Gotham FC, a women's team, competes in the National Women's Soccer League while Brooklyn FC fields a woman's team in the USL Super League. Brooklyn FC will also field a men's team in the second-division USL Championship in 2026, both playing in Maimonides Park in Coney Island, with fellow USL club New York Cosmos, the third iteration of the brand, set to join USL League One whilst playing in Paterson, New Jersey.
The region has also hosted 27 U.S. Open Cup finals at various venues including Starlight Park, Triborough Stadium, Dexter Park, the Metropolitan Oval, the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field. Despite this, a New York City-based club has not won the Open Cup since the 1991 final, where the Brooklyn Italians defeated the Richardson Rockets. The last time a local club reached the final was 2017, where the New York Red Bulls lost to Sporting Kansas City.
Today, major stadiums that host soccer matches include Sports Illustrated Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, and MetLife Stadium, which will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. New York City FC is planning to build Etihad Park, the first soccer-specific stadium in New York City which will be located in Queens and opening in 2027.
Professional clubs
Amateur clubs
Most successful clubs overall
Teams in italics are no longer active.| Team | D1 regular season | U.S. Open Cup | D1 Playoffs | Domestic Total | Campeones Cup | Leagues Cup | CONCACAF Champions Cup | Total |
| Brookhattan | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Brooklyn Celtic | 7 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Brooklyn Field Club | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Brooklyn Hispano | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Brooklyn Italians | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| S.C. Eintracht | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Elizabeth S.C. | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| New York AO Krete | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| New York Americans | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| New York City FC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| New York Cosmos | 7 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| New York Greek American | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| New York Hakoah | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| New York Hungaria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| New York Nationals | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| New York Pancyprian-Freedoms | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| New York Red Bulls | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Paterson F.C. | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Robins Dry Dock | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
New York derbies
There is one current professional New York derby:- New York Red Bulls vs New York City FC :
Attendances
Soccer clubs in the New York metropolitan area with the highest all-time average home league attendance:| # | Club | Average | Season |
| 1 | New York Cosmos | 47,856 | 1978 |
| 2 | New York City FC | 29,016 | 2015 |
| 3 | Red Bull New York | 23,898 | 1996 |