‘No Underdogs here:’ Gotham FC receives Keys to the City after stunning NWSL championship playoffs

In 2023, Gotham FC won their first National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) championship, but it wasn’t until 2025, when they triumphed again, that they received the recognition they deserved.

After a short procession from Barclay Street and along Broadway to City Hall in downtown Manhattan, outgoing Mayor Eric Adams honored the New Jersey/New York team for their remarkable feat with the Keys to the City, at a ceremony at City Hall on Nov.24. Adams also announced that City Hall and other municipal buildings, including the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building, and Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island borough halls will be lit up ​in Gotham FC ​sky blue tonight.

The team, which entered the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs as the eighth seed, defied all odds, winning the final playoff game against its archrival, the top-seeded Washington Spirit, on Washington’s home pitch 1-0 on Nov. 22, after midfielder Rose Lavelle scored in the 80th minute.

Fans celebrate the Gotham FC’s 2025 NWSL championship.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Fogo Azul attended the Gotham FC’s NWSL Championship celebration.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Adams, who was greeted with some jeers from the crowd that filled City Hall Plaza, remarked that “you gotta play through the hecklers.”

“You don’t win when you worry about the haters. You win when you stay dedicated to the mission,” said Adams, referencing the team’s unofficial slogan coined by Jaedyn Shaw, “Underdogs My Ass.”

“We saw the mentality all season, culminating in the number eight playoff seed beating the naysayers and the number one team in the league to make it to the championship game, and we saw it in that thrilling final,” Adams noted. “This is no team of underdogs. This is a team of champions.”

Council Member Francisco Moya (D-Queens), known for his passion for soccer, pointed out that women’s soccer was transforming the City and that the team’s playoff comeback was a real New York story.

“It’s just amazing to see New York really celebrate a team that really was an underdog,” Moya noted.

Mayor Eric Adams addresses the crowd at the Gotham FC’s NWSL Championship celebration.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

The Gotham FC won the NWSL Championship for the second time in three years.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

He was also confident that Gotham FC would perform well at the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup in London in January 2026.

“People better watch out,” Moya said. “In the UK, [people] think that American football is a little bit different. Our girls are ready to play, and they’re ready to win, and they’re ready to come back as champions once again.”

Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós told amNewYork Metro that his team was now preparing to play on the world stage in London, where they will face the South American Champions, Brazil’s SC Corinthians Paulista, on Jan. 27, 2026.

“We will do some pre-season plays to make sure that we are in the best shape possible, and make sure that we are ready to beat Corinthians on Jan. 27,” Amorós shared.

Fans, decked out in Gotham FC gear, expressed their excitement over their team’s second NWSL championship win -Gotham FC is also the first eighth-seed team to take home the trophy -some even skipped work or school, like 9-year-old Elie, who had his excuse from school signed by a few of the players.

Mayor Eric Adams presents the Keys to the City to Jaedyn Shaw. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Mayor Eric Adams presents the keys to the city. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

His dad, Adam Ring was delighted that the team finally received the recognition they deserved.

“We’ve been fans for a long time. The championship in 2023 was an amazing achievement. The championship in 2025 is finally [giving] Gotham FC the credit that they deserve. [We are] looking forward to many great seasons ahead and more recognition for these heroes,” said Ring, noting that his Council Member Shahana Hanif (D-Brooklyn), in response to the snub in 2023, introduced a resolution in 2024 celebrating the NJ/NY Gotham FC’s 2023 NWSL championship.

Bloomfield, New Jersey resident Jennifer Muller told amNewYork Metro that she made it in the knick of time to attend the festivities. She caught a red-eye flight from San Jose, California, and landed at Philadelphia International Airport at 5:30 a.m.

“I drove to my office in Central Jersey, unpacked some stuff, and then we drove right into the City. We came in at the tail end of the procession,” the season ticket holder shared. “[The Championship] just feels just as great as two years ago, maybe even more because we beat DC.”

The Krzyzostaniak family from Washington Heights attended the event with their two daughters, 12-year-old Zofia and 9-year-old Frania, who told amNewYork Metro that they want to become professional soccer players.

“It’s really cool. But I always knew [Gotham FC] could win. I always knew they could do it,” Frania declared.

Mayor Eric Adams presents the keys to the city. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

The Gotham FC won the NWSL Championship for the second time in three years. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

The Gotham FC won the NWSL Championship for the second time in three years. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Rose Lavelle and Counci Member Francisco Moya celebrate Gotham FC’s championship. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Gotham FC player Mandy Freeman poses for photos with fans after the ceremony. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Gotham FC player Mandy Freeman signs autographs for fans after the ceremony. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

9-year-old Elie had his excuse from school signed by Gotham FC players. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann