Paze is founding partner of Etihad Park

Article posted by Coliseum, February 20^th, 2026

Image: New York City FC

Major League Soccer’s (MLS) New York City FC has struck a multi-year partnership naming Paze as the first founding partner of Etihad Park.

MarketWatch said Paze also becomes the official online checkout and official digital wallet of New York City FC.

Paze is a fast and convenient online checkout solution that offers added security through tokenization, where actual card numbers are not shared with merchants.

Developed by Early Warning Services, Paze is aimed at e-commerce use and is offered by the nation’s leading banks and credit unions consumers already know.

As the Official Online Checkout of New York City FC and Etihad Park, Paze will be showcased on club channels and throughout the venue, including the newly named Paze City Square.

New York City Football Club, sometimes shortened as NYCFC, is an American professional soccer club based in New York City (US). The club competes in MLS as a member of the Eastern Conference. The 46,537-capacity Yankee Stadium in New York currently serves as their home ground.

Etihad Park is the new, 25,000-seat, fully electric soccer-specific stadium being built for New York City FC (NYCFC) in the Willets Point neighborhood of Queens (US) with an expected opening for the 2027 MLS season.

Privately funded and constructed entirely by union labor, the project anchors a larger 23-acre neighborhood development featuring 2,500 new affordable housing units, a 650-seat public school, a brand-new hotel, and more than 150,000 square feet of public open space.

The partnership with Paze begins in 2026, allowing both organizations to activate and engage well ahead of the new stadium’s 2027 opening, NYCFC said.

Brad Sims, New York City FC CEO added, “Etihad Park is going to be a game changer for soccer in New York City and the United States. It will be a future-forward venue focused on providing an unparalleled matchday experience before you even enter our doors, and Paze is going to play a vital role in helping us realize this goal.

“Paze will help us enhance the fan experience for everyone inside Etihad Park with their innovative product. We cannot wait to welcome everyone when Etihad Park and Paze City Square open in 2027.”

Among its many functions as a flexible area on both matchdays and non-matchdays, Paze City Square will be home to the “Five Boroughs Food Hall,” which will feature the diverse flavors from across the five boroughs via local vendors and suppliers for fans to enjoy.

On non-matchdays, Paze City Square will be open to the community and accessible through entrances on public walkways.

Serge Elkiner, general manager, Paze said, “Etihad Park represents the future of live sports experiences, and we’re excited that Paze will be a part of that vision from day one.

“Paze City Square will bring fans, local merchants and innovation together in one truly dynamic space. Our role is to simplify checkout — making it fast, frictionless, and with added security — so fans can focus on what matters most: the match and the moments around it.”

KLUTCH Sports Group and its Global Partnerships Division, led by Andrew Feinberg, is the agency of record for New York City FC’s Founding Partnerships at Etihad Park.

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