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The basics:

• Red Bull New York opens RWJBarnabas Health Performance Center in Morris Township
• 80-acre campus includes 8 pitches, 500-seat match field
• Facility will host first team, Red Bulls II, academy programs
• Site slated as Brazil’s base for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

April 22 marked a banner day for Red Bull New York, as the club officially cut the ribbon on its long-anticipated RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center in Morris Township. The milestone years in the making signifies a defining moment in the organization’s evolution.

The ceremony brought together leaders from both organizations, public officials and key stakeholders. It also drew franchise legends – including Tab Ramos; Michael Bradley, now head coach of the Red Bulls; and Thierry Henry – to celebrate the facility designed to shape the club’s next era.

The new 80-acre campus will serve as the full-time home for the Red Bulls’ first team, Red Bulls II and academy programs. The site anchors all levels of the organization in a single, state-of-the-art environment. The complex features eight full-size pitches, with 500-seat match field. A central training facility features locker rooms, gyms, sports science and medical spaces, dining and nutrition areas, and academic facilities for youth players.

Construction took nearly two years, launching in 2024. The RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center is positioned as one of the most advanced training environments in North America – and beyond.

Brazil plans to use the site as its home base during the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

A decade in the making

“This is truly a special day for our club. And it’s great to see so many of you here to be part of this,” said Marc de Grandpré, president and general manager of Red Bull New York. “From the early days of this league to Red Bull’s investment in 2006, this club has come a long [way]. Today marks another important step forward for this organization.”

He said that vision took 10 years to bring to life.

“It took persistence, it took belief and people who stayed committed when it was not easy,” de Grandpré continued. He thanked township leaders, officials and other key stakeholders, including former Gov. Phil Murphy and former First Lady Tammy Murphy (on-hand for the event), as well as RWJBarnabas Health for their efforts in bringing this vision to life. And Morris Township for welcoming the club with open arms. “Our founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, built this company around a simple promise – to give wings to people and ideas.

This is where the future of this club will take shape.
—Marc de Grandpré, president and general manager, Red Bull New York

“This facility is a true reflection of his mission. To RWJBarnabas Health and Mark Manigan, thank you for believing in what this can become. We’re proud that you share our commitment for health performance and the long-term well-being of our players, staff, and the community.”

He continued, “This is where the future of this club will take shape. We’re proud of what’s been built, but even more, we know what it requires of us now. This center raises the standard. Now, we must live up to it every day we walk through these doors or step on these pitches.”

Leveling up

“This is beyond spectacular. It really took my breath away when I walked in here today,” said Murphy, recounting her and her husband’s relationship with the Red Bulls. The couple are foundering owners of Gotham FC, which plays at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison. Murphy also serves as board chair of the NYNJ Host Committee for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. “This facility is taking it to the next level.”

“This facility may have taken about two years to build, but the moment has been more than 150 years in the making,” said Manigan. “Over the last century-and-a-half, New Jersey has secured its place as a center for health care innovation and discovery, where new treatments and cures are delivered from the laboratory bench to the bedside.

“And one of the leading figures in this story just happened to have the initials RWJ. Likewise, over this time, New Jersey became the cradle of American soccer, a place where the game first set its roots thanks to Kearny’s Irish and Scottish immigrant communities,” Manigan continued. “Today, these storylines converge here in Morris Township at the RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center.

“This is where New Jersey’s leading health system and New Jersey’s professional soccer team will set the benchmark for elite training and player health. And this is also where tomorrow starts. The 45,000 youth athletes across this state involved in the Red Bull New York Academy and youth training program will get their healthy starts as well.”

‘This is for you’

Manigan described the opportunity to partner and position RWJBH’s name alongside RBNY as a “no-brainer.”

“This partnership is built on shared values, a belief in innovation and a simple desire to be the very best. Here, success isn’t just what occurs on the pitch. It’s all the things that happen before the players walk out on the pitch and when they walk off,” said Manigan. “To see our name throughout this facility, to have our name on the Red Bulls training kit, to see our name throughout Sports Illustrated Stadium, and to have our doctors and clinicians working with some of the best athletes in the world is an incredible, incredible honor.

“Our system mantra is one system, one family. And we are beyond proud to have Red Bull New York as part of the RWJBarnabas Health family – and we are equally proud to be part of theirs.”

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber reflected on the evolution of the league over the last 30 years. He said the opening of this world-class facility marks the latest milestone on that journey for both the league and the club.

This building is not just one of the best ones in North America. This rivals one of best development cities in any of football/soccer club in the world.
—MLS Commissioner Don Garber

“This is for you,” Garber said in his remarks, directed at the youth academy members who were on-hand. “We expect you to win trophies, to represent our country and your countries, if you’re not from Major League Soccer. And then when you leave the game, to either be sitting on this stage or to be sitting here as legends of the game.

“This building is not just one of the best ones in North America. This rivals one of best development cities in any of football/soccer club in the world.”

Built to last

Julian de Guzman, head of sports for Red Bull New York, said this is where the next generation of Red Bull players will be built — and where the future starts.

“This is a statement. We are serious about building something that lasts,” he said. “Look around you. Eight full size pitches, a custom designed facility with fully equipped gyms for all the team, a dining hall with professional chefs, dedicated nutrition spaces, academic spaces for our young players, a comprehensive medical suite and innovation lab that will give our players access to elite preparation, rehabilitation, and recovery – all under one roof.

“This is not just a training ground. This is the most innovative soccer training facility in all of North America,” de Guzman continued. “And guess what? It’s ours.”

No excuses

Legendary soccer manager Jürgen Klopp serves as global head of soccer at Red Bull. He stressed that with a new training center such as this comes responsibility to use it properly.

“But it comes especially with opportunity,” he said. Klopp noted that sometimes the kids who are raised in the most beautiful homes or, in this case, get to train at a top-tier facility, may not always end up being the most ambitious.

He reiterated his point. “We want you to be ambitious; we want you to be full of greed – in a good way. We want you to be real competitive. So, make sure you and all your teammates and all the other kids who are training here and other boys and girls who will train here in the future – make sure you use it properly.

“Because now this is a place of no excuses.”

Morris Township Mayor Donna Guariglia closed out the speaking portion ahead of the ribbon cutting.

She described the facility as a source of pride. “Thanks to our esteemed dignitaries who came out this morning to celebrate this momentous occasion for our community, where from this day forward, we will bring a lasting relationship showcasing a world-class facility, which will enhance the visibility of the game of soccer,” she said. “And more importantly, increase community appreciation and excitement for many years to come.”