Lou Reed, Jerry Hall, Andy Warhol and Studio 54. Pelé, Beckenbauer, Chinaglia and the New York Cosmos: all celebrity institutions synonymous with late 1970s New York. Without five-time Soccer Bowl champions Cosmos and especially without the talismanic figure of Pelé, there would have been no high profile football in America as we knew it.

This final NASL Vintage post duly celebrates some of the timeless imagery associated with North America’s sexiest football club. Click any image to open the gallery.

Beckenbauer in USA

Pele’s New York Cosmos debut, 1975

Beckenbauer & Cruyff, New York Cosmos

Pele, New York Cosmos 1977

Franz Beckenbauer, New York Cosmos 1977

Franz Beckenbauer, New York Cosmos 1977

Dennis Tuert, New York Cosmos 1978

New York Cosmos v Stuttgart, Sep 1978

Pele, New York Cosmos 1977

New York Cosmos 1977

Beckenbauer, New York Cosmos

Neeskens, New York Cosmos

Cruyff & Beckenbauer, New York Cosmos 1978

Pele scores for New York Cosmos, Yankee Stadium

Franz Beckenbauer, New York Cosmos ad

New York Cosmos Girls

Cruyff & Beckenbauer, New York Cosmos training Giants Stadium

Leif Garrett, New York Cosmos