The New York Cosmos Are Back – But Can Nostalgia Build a Future? | OneFootball

The New York Cosmos are set to return in 2026, joining USL League One. The team, now owned by real estate developer Baye Adofo-Wilson and former Red Bulls and Cosmos executive Erik Stover, want to build from the ground up, rather than from the top down.

The Cosmos are back, but this time with a quieter and more measured approach than their ill-fated 2013 revival. News of the club’s fourth attempt at a comeback has stirred a familiar nostalgia-fueled buzz, but much has changed since 2021, when the team ceased operations while languishing in the National Independent Soccer Association.

First and foremost, the club has lost some of its most iconic ambassadors over the past few years. Pelé passed away in 2022. Franz Beckenbauer, the club’s second-biggest icon, died in 2024. Carlos Alberto passed in 2016, and Giorgio Chinaglia, the all-time leading scorer and the antihero of Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos, died in 2012.

The New York Cosmos before the 1980 Soccer Bowl. (Len Hawley/Consolidated News Pictures/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Franz Beckenbauer during his time with the New York Cosmos. (Tony Duffy/Allsport/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Throughout the 1970s and into the ’80s, the Cosmos were the pinnacle of American soccer, drawing huge crowds and hosting some of the biggest names in the sport. A 28-year hiatus after the NASL folded in 1985 ended in 2013, but the Cosmos’ tenure in the modern NASL was fleeting.

The team made headlines not for on-field success but for off-field drama and financial hemorrhaging, in addition to its central role in the NASL’s high-profile antitrust lawsuit against MLS and U.S. Soccer over Division I sanctioning, a legal battle they lost in February 2025. While the club won three NASL titles under head coach Giovanni Savarese and briefly looked like a rising force again, mounting financial troubles derailed progress and attendance faded fast as the Cosmos looked more like an average second division soccer team than the promised rebirth of a soccer juggernaut.

Former Real Madrid striker Raúl was the biggest name to join during that era. Though well past his prime, Raúl was brought in as a star attraction, but he didn’t match the marquee status of yesteryear.

So what’s different this time? Why should anyone believe in the Cosmos again?

Starting From the Ground Up

Pelé during the 2013 revival of the Cosmos. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for the New York Cosmos)

New York Cosmos CEO Erik Stover recently outlined the team’s new vision, and wisely, it’s focused on building a foundation rather than making a splash. As Stover told the Morning Kickaround Podcast, “We are doing more than just soccer. The name Cosmos will be used in a lot of different elements as we develop our club.”

Now based out of historic Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey, the Cosmos plan to tap into the state’s vibrant youth systems, local clubs, and rich soccer culture to rebuild their brand for a modern audience.

According to Stover, the club has ambitious plans for both men’s and women’s teams and a multi-sport club concept, similar to European giants like Real Madrid and AC Milan, or South American institutions like Uruguay’s Nacional and Argentina’s River Plate.

This new approach is a far cry from the Steve Ross era of the 1970s, when the strategy was simply to spend big. Likewise, it diverges sharply from the Rocco B. Commisso era, which leaned heavily into nostalgia, brand ambassadors, and high-profile disputes with MLS.

Former Cosmos defender Werner Roth told Urban Pitch that the current strategy feels like the right one.

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“(The Cosmos’ new plan) is modeled after the great international clubs: community-oriented, offering multi-sport opportunities, and with a strong focus on local player development,” Roth said. “With the legendary Italian international Giuseppe Rossi, a New Jersey native, leading soccer operations, I can envision a successful player development pipeline that not only strengthens their pro clubs but also positions them to enter the international transfer market.

“The rich and colorful history of the Cosmos also gives them the opportunity to build a diverse media platform, one that draws from their iconic past while connecting to an exciting present and future. And being based in the diverse and passionate soccer market of Northern New Jersey, I can see them carrying forward the historic legacy of the original Cosmos.”

For Soccer View Radio’s Vas Skamnias, this revival could be the one that finally sticks.

“I think the Cosmos coming back is more than just a big deal, it’s a celebration and a rebirth of ‘the most glamorous team in world football,’ to quote the great David Hirshey,” Skamnias said. “The brand alone won’t be enough to keep everything running, but with soccer minds like Erik Stover and Giuseppe Rossi spearheading operations, this iteration of the Cosmos can become something special in its own unique way.

“With their new home in Paterson, the team has a real opportunity to represent the largest Tri-State area in the country, while staying deeply connected to the history of the five boroughs. These are exciting times for the U.S. soccer landscape, and adding the Cosmos name back into the mix will only make it more compelling. New eyes will be watching USL League One.”

Can Nostalgia Create New Fans?

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While the Cosmos’ return might give USL League One a visibility boost, the club’s true challenge lies in cultivating a new generation of supporters, especially after disappearing across two separate generations.

It’s a harsh reality for such a storied brand: the diehards who remember Pelé and Beckenbauer are now in their 50s or older. Many have moved away from the Tri-State area. Meanwhile, fans who bought into the NASL-era revival in the 2010s were left disillusioned by how that version of the organization was run.

This new version of the Cosmos does have one major advantage over most USL clubs: brand recognition. But in a crowded and competitive sports market like New York and New Jersey, the team will need to fight for relevance, especially now, when nearly every pro sports team in the region is competitive.

Still, the plan to build a multi-sport, community-based club may offer something unique — an approach that fosters a sense of belonging among younger fans, in contrast to the aggressive and flashy tactics of the past.

The Legacy of the Cosmos

Despite the critics and chaos that have followed them, the New York Cosmos remain a pillar in the history of American soccer. They proved that the sport could thrive on a massive scale in the United States.

Long before El Tráfico drew 80,000 to the Rose Bowl, the Cosmos packed 77,000 fans into Giants Stadium for a NASL playoff game. At one point, they were one of New York City’s biggest sports attractions.

The Cosmos spent what was needed to make soccer appealing, and while the original NASL collapsed due to over-expansion and lack of a TV deal, the Cosmos were among the few franchises to survive beyond the league’s golden years.

They were, arguably, the first true super club in American soccer: a team with global stars, cultural cachet, and success on the pitch. Something even Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami —despite the hype — has yet to fully replicate.

Now, in 2026, the Cosmos are back. And for the first time since Steve Ross dreamed of turning soccer into primetime American entertainment, those holding the reins seem committed to a more thoughtful, sustainable vision. If they can pull it off, the Cosmos might finally become more than a flash in the pan.