The world champions who played in New York
Pele, Carlos Alberto, Franz Beckenbauer, Youri Djorkaeff and Thierry Henry all called New York City their home after conquering world football.
FIFA World Cup 26™ final to be held in New York
Iconic US city has storied history involving former world champions
Pele, Carlos Alberto, Thierry Henry and more played for clubs in the city that never sleeps
"I want to be a part of it, New York, New York."
New York, New York, the song that gave us those lyrics, was originally performed by Liza Minnelli for Martin Scorsese's 1977 film of the same name. It was, of course, made famous by Frank Sinatra, who recorded his classic version a year later. As well as reviving the career of the American crooner, the song has a place in the hearts of all those who have ever spent time in this unique city and immediately felt a sense of belonging.
Even the legendary Pele, signed by the New York Cosmos in 1975, could not resist the lure of Manhattan, with its iconic skyline and intoxicating streets. "When I came to the Cosmos, I became an integral part of New York, and today I'm still part of New York," the Brazilian said in 2014.
Nor was he the only global superstar to have been wooed by the city. His compatriot Carlos Alberto, who was also a world champion in 1970, the German Franz Beckenbauer and French duo Youri Djorkaeff and Thierry Henry all answered New York’s siren call.
And while other players wait to discover New York and enter the history books at the FIFA World Cup 26™ Final set to take place at New York New Jersey Stadium, FIFA recalls five world champions who called The Big Apple home.
FIFA World Cup™ winner: 1958, 1962, 1970 New York Cosmos: 1975-77
In the early 1970s, when football was still an emerging sport in the city, the New York Cosmos managed to convince the three-time world champion to come out of retirement. The transfer paved the way for the Cosmos to become for a time the most glamorous club on the planet, with O Rei taking his rightful place among the VIPs.
“Absolutely everybody wanted to shake his hand, to get a photo with him,” said Mick Jagger of Pele’s presence at Studio 54. “Saying you had partied with Pele was the biggest badge of honour going.”
On the field, Pele scored on his debut (2-2 against Dallas Tornado) in June 1975. Two years later, he won the North American Soccer League (NASL) Soccer Bowl courtesy of a 2-1 defeat win over Seattle Sounders in the final. In total, the Brazilian scored 37 goals in 64 games for the Cosmos and was named Honorary President of the club in 2010.
FIFA World Cup™ winner: 1970 New York Cosmos: 1977-80, 1982
Captain of Brazil’s World Cup-winning side of 1970, Carlos Alberto Torres arrived at the New York Cosmos in time to win the 1977 NASL with his compatriot Pele. The defender, who had earlier played for Rio de Janeiro rivals Fluminense and Flamengo, then won a second league title in 1978. By then Pele was no longer at the club, but his team-mates included the great Franz Beckenbauer as they took the title with a 3-1 win over Tampa Bay Rowdies.
After a one-season stint with California Surf, Carlo Alberto won the Soccer Bowl again in 1982, when he returned to the Cosmos to bring the curtain down on his playing days. "It was a great time. The five years I spent at the New York Cosmos were the best of my personal life," he told the club's website in 2014. "We could go to the theatre, see shows and see everything in New York. It was the best time to be in New York, witnessing the birth of disco and the football boom. It was a great, great time."
FIFA World Cup™ winner: 1974 New York Cosmos: 1977-80, 1983
"Coming to New York was the best decision of my life," Beckenbauer told The New York Times in 1978. "Your privacy is respected here. I can go anywhere and often not get recognised."
That might sound strange given that, by the time he arrived in NYC, Beckenbauer was a reigning world champion following West Germany’s 1974 triumph. He also had a runner’s up medal from the 1966 edition and a bronze from 1970. That is not to mention his UEFA EURO 1972 title with the Nationalmannschaft and his three consecutive European Champion Clubs' Cup victories with Bayern Munich (1974, 1975, and 1976). However, professional football was still in its infancy in the USA at the time, and so its players were often left to their own devices.
Der Kaiser endeared himself to the fans as part of the NASL-winning sides of 1977, 1978 and 1980. "His impact was immediate, as he joined his dear friend Pele on a team that not only captured the league title, but also the hearts and minds of what became known as Cosmos Country," the Cosmos wrote on its website following Beckenbauer's death.
After a two-year spell at Hamburger SV, where he won the Bundesliga, Beckenbauer returned to the Cosmos for one more season, this time without winning the title, before hanging up his boots for good.
FIFA World Cup™ winner: 1998 New York MetroStars/Red Bulls: 2005-06
In 2005, Youri Djorkaeff, a world champion with France seven years earlier, became the second Frenchman to join a Major League Soccer side after the former Monaco and Arsenal star Gilles Grimandi played for Colorado Rapids in 2003. When Djorkaeff signed for New York MetroStars of MLS, the league was less than 10 years old. Nonetheless, it was a challenge he willingly accepted.
"I wanted to live in New York, as it's a mythical city after all," he said at his signing. "Every kid has the American dream – I'm just lucky that the dream is coming true. I came here for the football and for the family life."
On the football side, the then 37-year-old, who wore the No10 shirt in New York, racked up 10 goals and seven assists during the regular season and was voted the club’s MVP for 2005. "Youri was one of our best players last season [in 2005]," said his then coach Mo Johnson, who himself had a stint playing for FC Nantes in the 1980s. "As a world champion, he has something that no other player in this league has, and his leadership is invaluable."
After becoming team captain, he witnessed the club’s rebranding as New York Red Bulls in March 2006. After a mixed second season, he left the Big Apple in October 2006 with cherished memories of this magical city, where he created the Youri Djorkaeff Foundation to provide playing opportunities to children without the means to afford it.
FIFA World Cup™ winner: 1998 New York Red Bulls: 2010-14
Thierry Henry may have lived in some of the most beautiful cities in the world – Monaco, Turin, London, Barcelona – but his love for New York is on another level. "It's my home in many ways, but it's much more than that. I've seen a lot of places, and for me it's the best city in the world."
In four seasons with the Red Bulls, either side of a two-month loan spell back at Arsenal in early 2012, Henry won only one title: the Supporters' Shield (awarded to the team that scores the most points in the regular MLS season). However, he netted 52 goals (51 in the regular season, 1 in the play-offs) during his time in the MLS, making him the third-highest scorer in the history of the New York Red Bulls, behind England's Bradley Wright-Phillips (126 goals) and Colombia's Juan Pablo Angel (62).
"I loved playing for the fans in New York because they tell you the truth and you can't hide from it," the current coach of the France U-21 team admitted a few years after his retirement in 2014.