While legendary figures like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Harry Kane can still draw crowds with their mere presence, the success of their teams hinges on effective teamwork and coaching. A prime example of this is the team that first captured President Donald Trump’s interest in soccer.
In the 1970s, the struggling New York Cosmos, a part of the North American Soccer League, managed to persuade Brazilian soccer legend Pelé to join their ranks. He was soon joined by other stars such as Giorgio Chinaglia, Franz Beckenbauer, and Carlos Alberto.
This star power, combined with a savvy public relations effort by club owner Warner Communications, revolutionized the team, the league, and the trajectory of soccer in the United States.
“Without the Cosmos and their flair, we wouldn’t have been in a position to bid for and secure the 1994 World Cup,” remarked Jim Trecker, who was the public relations leader for both the Cosmos and that year’s World Cup, which was the first ever held in the United States.
The team transitioned from playing in a nearly empty stadium on Randall’s Island to the Meadowlands, the same venue where England and Panama played today. The Cosmos consistently attracted crowds exceeding 50,000, including notable figures such as Mick Jagger, Cher, and Henry Kissinger.
“The one and only time I met Kissinger, he pushed me into Pelé’s lap,” recalled David Hirshey, who reported on the team for the New York Daily News, in an interview with POLITICO.
The Cosmos also managed to capture the attention of a young Trump, who on at least one occasion celebrated with Pelé at Studio 54, convincing him of soccer’s appeal. When questioned about Trump’s experience with the Cosmos, the White House directed POLITICO to his family business, the Trump Organization, which did not provide a response. However, Trump has often credited Pelé and the Cosmos for sparking his interest in soccer.
“Many years ago, I remember watching Pelé on a team called the Cosmos,” Trump remarked during the World Cup’s lottery draw in December. “I assume he is one of the greats. I said, ‘That man can play!’”
During the same event, Trump expressed some disappointment that the potential of the Cosmos did not lead to a widespread soccer boom in the country.
“For years, they thought soccer would grow rapidly,” he commented.
During the peak of the Cosmos’ success, Trump was an emerging real estate mogul with aspirations of mingling with New York’s elite, though he might have observed them from a distance.
“I never saw Trump in the locker room,” said Hirshey. “You would think that’s where he would want to be.”
Read Calder’s POLITICO Magazine story about the Trump and the Cosmos here.
