"For a few golden years, the Cosmos didn’t just make soccer cool, they made it matter in America."

New York Cosmos fans tailgating at Giants Stadium in the 1970s. For a brief period of time, soccer was king in New York.

In the late ’70s, especially after Pelé joined the Cosmos in 1975, the sport exploded in popularity across the U.S.

The Cosmos regularly drew crowds of 50,000 to 70,000 at Giants Stadium, unheard-of numbers for American soccer at the time.

In 1977, over 77,000 fans packed the stadium for a playoff game, more than the Super Bowl that year.

With a roster stacked with global legends like Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia, and backed by Warner Communications, the Cosmos became a full-blown cultural phenomenon.

Their matches weren’t just sporting events, they were star-studded spectacles, with celebrities like Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol, and Muhammad Ali in attendance.

For a few golden years, the Cosmos didn’t just make soccer cool, they made it matter in America.