Where we left off last year
2025 season: 56 points, 5th in the Eastern Conference, 9th in MLS
Really, NYCFC's loss in the Eastern Conference final to Inter Miami served as a microcosm of their 2025 season.
On one hand, they were just one win away from MLS Cup. They finished solidly in the playoff places out East, had a positive xG differential, and played effective soccer under first-year manager Pascal Jansen. On the other hand, they were clearly the second-best team on the field in that conference final meeting with Miami and almost never looked like a true trophy threat even before Alonso Martinez went down with an ACL injury in November that will see him miss most (if not all) of 2026.
Will New York City FC ever be a true MLS juggernaut under management from City Football Group? That question lingers.
What changed in the offseason
Notable arrivals:
- Todd Dunivant, chief soccer officer: Though he was hired away from the Sacramento Republic's front office in the USL Championship where he helped build a perennial trophy contender, Dunivant has MLS experience, too. He played in the league and served on the board of the MLS Players Association. As for how he'll do inside MLS and the CFG machine? Only time will tell.
- Kai Trewin, CB/DM: Signed from sister club Melbourne City, Trewin looks like New York City’s Justin Haak replacement. After Haak left in free agency, NYCFC needed another potential starter who could play as a center back or as a defensive midfielder – and it looks like they found that in Trewin. The 24-year-old is an Australian national teamer.
