1 August 2010 - A Second Big Bang For The Cosmos

On 1 August 2010, Pelé announced the return of the New York Cosmos after a 25-year hiatus, with the former star serving as the club's honorary president.

The earlier incarnation of the Cosmos existed from 1971 to 1985, during which time they captured a global audience through the signings of such high-profile international players as Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, and Giorgio Chinaglia alongside homegrown players like Werner Roth and Shep Messing. But the five-time NASL champions went dormant in 1985 after the implosion of the league.

Former general manager Peppe Pinton acquired ownership of the Cosmos, including the rights to the name, logo, and all club records. With the introduction of MLS in 1996, several groups sought to acquire the rights from Pinton, but he refused to sell, citing a belief that the new league would not respect the club's history. But  he eventually relented and sold the rights in 2009 to a group led by former Tottenham vice-chairman Paul Kemsley.

The new owners moved quickly to link themselves with the club's legacy by appointing Pelé as the honorary president and expressed their intent to play in MLS. They soon added Chinaglia as the club's global ambassador and appointed former Manchester United star Eric Cantona as the team's director of soccer. They held their first match on 5 August 2011, playing against Manchester United in a friendly.

Despite the ambitious relaunch, the Cosmos were unable to secure an MLS spot. In July 2012, they announced that they would compete in the North American Soccer League starting in 2013.

7 July 2006 - It Was A Very Short Lifetime

On 7 July 2006, Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos premiered in New York City.

Directed by John Crowder and Paul Dower and narrated by Matt Dillon, the documentary chronicles the rise and fall of the Cosmos from their founding in 1971, through their heyday in the late '70s, to their collapse in 1984. 

Although Pelé, the Cosmos's most famous player, declined any involvement in the film (reportedly because the filmmakers would not pay his requested fee of $100,000), the directors did interview several other people from the club's history, including founding owner Ahmet Ertegun and a long list of Cosmos players such as Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinaglia, Shep Messing, and Werner Roth. Together, they described the club's meteoric rise from NASL expansion team to a global brand, driven primarily by the signing of Pelé in 1975.

After Pelé's retirement in 1977, the Cosmos began to suffer financial pressures due to dwindling crowds and the loss of monetary backing by the former parent company, Warner Communications. As the league imploded, the Cosmos tried a season of indoor football, but could not remain afloat and folded in 1985. 

24 January 1947 - The Start Of Giorgio's Journey

On 24 January 1947, Lazio and New York Cosmos star Giorgio Chinaglia was born in Carrara, Italy.

His family moved to Wales when he was 8, resulting in the striker starting his professional career in 1964 with Swansea Town. But after only six league appearances in two seasons, he moved back to Italy, where he spent three seasons in Serie C--one with Massese and two with Internapoli--before joining Lazio in 1969.

At Lazio, he became a dominating center forward, scoring 123 goals in seven seasons, including the matchwinner in a 1974 Rome derby. After the goal, he taunted the Roma supporters, a move that endeared him to Lazio's fans. That season, Lazio won their first-ever Scudetto.

In 1976, Chinaglia joined the New York Cosmos. Although other international stars preceded him to the US, he was the first to join the NASL while still in the prime of his career, as evidenced by his 242 goals in 254 matches. He was a six-time NASL all-star and was instrumental in delivering four of the team's five league titles.

He retired from playing when the Cosmos folded in 1985. A naturalized American, Chinaglia was inducted into the USA National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2000. He passed away in 2012 at the age of 65.

20 December 1992 - The Cosmos Lose A Star

On 20 December 1992, New York Cosmos co-founder Steve Ross died in Los Angeles at the age of 65.

Ross (pictured, center), who started his entrepreneurial career with a rental car business in the late 1950s, purchased the Warner Brothers-Seven Arts film studio in 1969 for $400 million. Ross served as CEO, president, and chairman of his new acquisition, soon expanded and renamed as Warner Communications.

Ross, along with brothers Ahmet and Neshui Ertegün from Atlantic Records, founded the Cosmos in 1971. With a collection of local talent, the Cosmos won the NASL title in their second season, but could not sustain their success, failing even to qualify for the playoffs in 1974. Their declining form prompted Ross to make a bid for Brazilian superstar Pelé, who came out of semi-retirement and joined the Cosmos in 1975. Ross also used Warner Communications' deep pockets to bring additional high-profile players to New York, including Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, and Giorgio Chinaglia.

Under Ross' stewardship, the Cosmos became a club célèbre, becoming a prominent fixture in the New York social scene. They were also successful, winning four more NASL titles. But the extravagant spending eventually caught up with them and Warner sold the club in the early '80s to a consortium led by Chinaglia, ending Ross' association with the club.

Ross's death in 1992 was caused by complications with prostate cancer.

28 August 1977 - The Cosmos Go Bowling

On 28 August 1977, the New York Cosmos won their first Soccer Bowl, beating the Seattle Sounders 2-1.

Playing before a crowd of 41,270 at the Civic Stadium in Portland, Oregon, the Cosmos capitalized on a mistake by Sounders goalkeeper Tony Chursky to take an early lead. In the 20th minute, Chursky collected a pass intended for Cosmos striker Giorgio Chinaglia and dropped the ball to the ground in front of him, unaware that NY winger Stephen Hunt was lurking nearby. Hunt stole the ball away from Chursky and poked it into an open goal to put the Cosmos up 1-0.

The Sounders responded quickly, with former Cosmo forward Tommy Ord heading in an equalizer four minutes later. Both teams continued to attack, combining for 55 shots (29 from the Cosmos and 26 from the Sounders), but they scored only one more goal - a 78th-minute header from Chinaglia that was set up by a cross from Hunt and again put the Cosmos in front, 2-1.

It was the first Soccer Bowl win for the Cosmos, but their second NASL title, since they had won the pre-Soccer Bowl championship in 1972. For his performance, Hunt was named the match's MVP.

18 September 1982 - Masters Of The NASL Universe

On 18 September 1982, the New York Cosmos won their fifth NASL title, beating Seattle with a goal from Giorgio Chinaglia.

It was their fifth appearance in the final in six years. They finished as runners-up in a penalty shootout in 1981, after winning it in 1977, 1978, and 1980 (they also won the title in 1972). With a defense anchored by goalkeeper Hubert Birkenmeier and center back Andranik Eskandarian and an attack led by Chinaglia—all NASL All-Stars—the Cosmos had the league's best record in the regular season. Seattle weren't far behind, winning the Western Division with an All-Star of their own, on-loan Nottingham Forest forward Peter Ward.

They met at San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium, where they played before a relatively small crowd of 22,634. Although Seattle went on the attack early, outshooting New York 8-1 in the first twenty minutes, New York went ahead in the 37th minute, as Chinaglia fired a shot from 12 yards out that hit Seattle keeper Paul Hammond and rebounded into the goal.

It was all New York needed. Birkenmeier and the Cosmos defense, who had kept clean sheets through regulation in the two previous finals, did so again to hold on for the 1-0 win.

31 August 1980 - Chinaglia's Record-Setting Night

On 31 August 1980, New York Cosmos striker Giorgia Chinaglia scored seven goals in a playoff game against Tusla, setting seven records in the process.

The match was in the first round of the NASL playoffs. The Cosmos had already beaten Tulsa 1-3 away in the first leg and were hosting them at Giants Stadium for the second leg. Chinaglia scored the opening goal in the 21st minute, opening the floodgates for the strikes that soon followed.

His second came five minutes later from the penalty spot before Tulsa's Billy Caskey closed the gap to 2-1. Then a Franz Beckenbauer goal pushed the margin to 3-1, followed by another Chinaglia penalty kick to make it 4-1. Five minutes after that, the Italian international tallied his fourth of the day to end the half 5-1 to New York. He added a fifth goal in the 75th minute, then a sixth with a diving header about five minutes later. Then, with just over a minute left, he scored his seventh of the day to set the final margin at 8-1.

His tally set seven different records, including (1) most goals in a playoff game, (2) most goals in a half at 5, (3) most points in a playoff game (15, under the NASL rules of two points per goal and one per assist), (4) most points in a half with 10, (5) the shortest time between two goals at 4 minutes and 48 seconds, (6) career goals in the playoffs with 29, and (7) career playoff points with 65. Chinaglia already held the latter two records, while most of the others he took over from the Minnesota Kicks' Alan Willey.

Chinaglia continued his impressive performance throughout the playoffs, culminating with a brace in New York's 3-0 win over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the Soccer Bowl.

14 August 1977 - They Were Masters Of Time And Space

On 14 August 1977, the New York Cosmos set a couple of records when they routed the Fort Lauderdale Strikers 8-3 in the NASL playoffs.

The Strikers had just finished their first season in the league and did so with the best record, winning 19 games and losing only 7. That earned them a first-round bye in the post-season tournament and took them straight into the division championship. There, they met the Cosmos, who had played and beaten Fort Lauderdale twice during the regular season, both times by the score of 3-0.

New York hosted the first leg at Giants Stadium, where a record NASL crowd of 77,691 turned out for the occasion. They were rewarded by a dominant performance from the home side. Led by their star quartet of Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, and Giorgio Chinaglia, the Cosmos rolled to a 4-1 lead at the break with goals from Steve Hunt (2), Beckenbauer, and Chinaglia. (Maurice Whittle scored for Fort Lauderdale).

Early in the second half, Tony Field extended the lead to 5-1, then Chinaglia completed his hat-trick with two strikes in quick succession before the Striker's Norman Piper closed the gap. Gary Etherington added an eighth goal for New York, setting a record for the highest score by a team in the NASL playoffs, while Whittle's final score of the day set the 8-3 result.

The second leg was closer, with New York winning in a shootout before going on to win the final over the Seattle Sounders.

1 August 2010 - A Second Big Bang For The Cosmos

On 1 August 2010, Pelé announced the return of the New York Cosmos after a 25-year hiatus, with the former star serving as the club's honorary president.

The earlier incarnation of the Cosmos existed from 1971 to 1985, during which time they captured a global audience through the signings of such high-profile international players as Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, and Giorgio Chinaglia alongside homegrown players like Werner Roth and Shep Messing. But the five-time NASL champions went dormant in 1985 after the implosion of the league.

Former general manager Peppe Pinton acquired ownership of the Cosmos, including the rights to the name, logo, and all club records. With the introduction of MLS in 1996, several groups sought to acquire the rights from Pinton, but he refused to sell, citing a belief that the new league would not respect the club's history. But  he eventually relented and sold the rights in 2009 to a group led by former Tottenham vice-chairman Paul Kemsley.

The new owners moved quickly to link themselves with the club's legacy by appointing Pelé as the honorary president and expressed their intent to play in MLS. They soon added Chinaglia as the club's global ambassador and appointed former Manchester United star Eric Cantona as the team's director of soccer. They held their first match on 5 August 2011, playing against Manchester United in a friendly.

Despite the ambitious relaunch, the Cosmos were unable to secure an MLS spot. In July 2012, they announced that they would compete in the North American Soccer League starting in 2013, but still intend to press for entry into MLS.

7 July 2006 - It Was A Very Short Lifetime

On 7 July 2006, Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos premiered in New York City.

Directed by John Crowder and Paul Dower and narrated by Matt Dillon, the documentary chronicles the rise and fall of the Cosmos from their founding in 1971, through their heyday in the late '70s, to their collapse in 1984.

Although Pelé, the Cosmos's most famous player, declined any involvement in the film (reportedly because the filmmakers would not pay his requested fee of $100,000), the directors did interview several other people from the club's history, including founding owner Ahmet Ertegun and a long list of Cosmos players such as Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinaglia, Shep Messing, and Werner Roth. Together, they described the club's meteoric rise from NASL expansion team to a global brand, driven primarily by the signing of Pelé in 1975.


After Pelé's retirement in 1977, the Cosmos began to suffer financial pressures due to dwindling crowds and the loss of monetary backing by the former parent company, Warner Communications. As the league imploded, the Cosmos tried a season of indoor football, but could not remain afloat and folded in 1985. 


The film received favorable reviews from critics and fans, but has earned only a paltry $9,805 on its opening weekend, due in part to a limited release.

24 January 1947 - The Start Of Giorgio's Journey

On 24 January 1947, Lazio and New York Cosmos star Giorgio Chinaglia was born in Carrara, Italy.

His family moved to Wales when he was 8, resulting in the striker starting his professional career in 1964 with Swansea Town. But after only six league appearances in two seasons, he moved back to Italy, where he spent three seasons in Serie C--one with Massese and two with Internapoli--before joining Lazio in 1969.

At Lazio, he became a dominating center forward, scoring 123 goals in seven seasons, including the matchwinner in a 1974 Rome derby. After the goal, he taunted the Roma supporters, a move that endeared him to Lazio's fans. That season, Lazio won their first-ever Scudetto.

In 1976, Chinaglia joined the New York Cosmos. Although other international stars preceded him to the US, he was the first to join the NASL while still in the prime of his career, as evidenced by his 242 goals in 254 matches. He was a six-time NASL all-star and was instrumental in delivering four of the team's five league titles.

He retired from playing when the Cosmos folded in 1985. A naturalized American, Chinaglia was inducted into the USA National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2000 and currently hosts a daily show on Sirius satellite radio.

20 December 1992 - The Cosmos Lose A Star

On 20 December 1992, New York Cosmos co-founder Steve Ross died in Los Angeles at the age of 65.

Ross (pictured, center), who started his entrepreneurial career with a rental car business in the late 1950s, purchased the Warner Brothers-Seven Arts film studio in 1969 for $400 million. Ross served as CEO, president, and chairman of his new acquisition, soon expanded and renamed as Warner Communications.

Ross, along with brothers Ahmet and Neshui Ertegün from Atlantic Records, founded the Cosmos in 1971. With a collection of local talent, the Cosmos won the NASL title in their second season, but could not sustain their success, failing even to qualify for the playoffs in 1974. Their declining form prompted Ross to make a bid for Brazilian superstar Pelé, who came out of semi-retirement and joined the Cosmos in 1975. Ross also used Warner Communications' deep pockets to bring additional high-profile players to New York, including Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, and Giorgio Chinaglia.

Under Ross' stewardship, the Cosmos became a club célèbre, becoming a prominent fixture in the New York social scene. They were also successful, winning four more NASL titles. But the extravagant spending eventually caught up with them and Warner sold the club in the early '80s to a consortium led by Chinaglia, ending Ross' association with the club.

Ross's death in 1992 was caused by complications with prostate cancer.

28 August 1977 - The Cosmos Go Bowling

On 28 August 1977, the New York Cosmos won their first Soccer Bowl, beating the Seattle Sounders 2-1.

Playing before a crowd of 41,270 at the Civic Stadium in Portland, Oregon, the Cosmos capitalized on a mistake by Sounders goalkeeper Tony Chursky to take an early lead. In the 20th minute, Chursky collected a pass intended for Cosmos striker Giorgio Chinaglia and dropped the ball to the ground in front of him, unaware that NY winger Stephen Hunt was lurking nearby. Hunt stole the ball away from Chursky and poked it into an open goal to put the Cosmos up 1-0.

The Sounders responded quickly, with former Cosmo forward Tommy Ord heading in an equalizer four minutes later. Both teams continued to attack, combining for 55 shots (29 from the Cosmos and 26 from the Sounders), but they scored only one more goal - a 78th-minute header from Chinaglia that was set up by a cross from Hunt and again put the Cosmos in front, 2-1.

It was the first Soccer Bowl win for the Cosmos, but their second NASL title, since they had won the pre-Soccer Bowl championship in 1972. For his performance, Hunt was named the match's MVP.