As the inorganic, cringe-inducingly advertiser-driven spectacle of MLS Rivalry Week brought to you by Heineken marches on, the time feels right to create a highly subjective ranking of New York City FC’s fiercest rivals.
What makes a rival worthy of a spot in this top five? A history of heated on-field encounters with NYCFC when the stakes are high. The level of animosity that seems to exist between the two fanbases before, during, and after matches was also taken into consideration. Other factors like histories of regional rivalries in other sports also inform this ranking, at least a little bit.