In June 1975, soccer in the United States was still a fringe sport. But when Pelé signed with the New York Cosmos, everything changed. His debut at Downing Stadium on Randall’s Island drew 22,500 fans and turned a crumbling venue into the center of the sporting world. Cosmos coach Gordon Bradley later said, “There must have been another 50,000 turned away.”
Thousands more perched on the Triborough Bridge, straining for a glimpse of the Brazilian icon. When Pelé stepped onto the field, the roar was deafening. Even for a man who had played in front of 100,000 in World Cup finals, the reception was overwhelming.
Hollywood meets the beautiful game
Among the packed crowd was Robert Redford, then in the middle of filming All the President’s Men. At the time he was Hollywood’s biggest star, voted the number one box office draw for three straight years. Yet he insisted on a break from shooting to witness Pelé’s American debut. For Redford, an avid sportsman, this wasn’t just another night out. It was a cultural moment. He joined thousands of ordinary New Yorkers in celebrating a sport that, for one evening, eclipsed baseball and football in the city’s imagination.
Cosmos matches quickly became a magnet for celebrities. Barbra Streisand, Diane Keaton, Mick Jagger, and Elton John all turned up in the stands. Henry Kissinger, a self-confessed soccer obsessive, was often spotted too. After games, the crowd often shifted downtown to Studio 54, where Pelé was treated as “the VIP of VIPs.” Redford, with his political thriller filming by day and disco nights by evening, fit seamlessly into this world. Soccer, cinema, politics, and nightlife were colliding in ways New York had never seen.
That night on Randall’s Island set the tone. Pelé scored and assisted in a 2–2 draw, and the Cosmos went from an afterthought to the hottest ticket in town. By the late 1970s they were drawing 70,000 to Giants Stadium, with Redford and other A-listers sprinkled among the crowd. The team embodied New York’s cultural mash-up: gritty sport, glamorous fans, and an international flair that made soccer briefly the city’s heartbeat.
Redford was also present for the next milestone: Pelé’s farewell game on October 1, 1977. Giants Stadium was sold out with 75,000 inside, and Pelé split his minutes between the Cosmos and Santos in a symbolic curtain call. The night drew a guest list that included Muhammad Ali, Mick Jagger, and Henry Kissinger. Redford, by then tied to Warner Communications, the company that owned the Cosmos, secured six seats for himself and friends despite the crush. For one evening in New Jersey, a soccer match looked and felt like a Hollywood premiere.
