Editing Pelé (section)

=== New York Cosmos ===

[[File:President_Nixon_meeting_with_Edson_%22Pele%22_Arantes_do_Nacimento,_retired_professional_Brazilian_soccer_player_and..._-_NARA_-_194508.tif|thumb|left|Pelé signing a [[Ball (association football)|football]] for US president [[Richard Nixon]] at the [[White House]] in 1973, two years before joining the [[New York Cosmos (1970–85)|New York Cosmos]]]]

After the 1974 season (his 19th with Santos), Pelé retired from Brazilian club football although he continued to occasionally play for Santos in official competitive matches. A year later, he came out of semi-retirement to sign with the [[New York Cosmos (1970–85)|New York Cosmos]] of the [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|North American Soccer League]] (NASL) for the [[1975 North American Soccer League season|1975 season]].<ref name="auto1"/> At a chaotic press conference at New York's [[21 Club]], the Cosmos unveiled Pelé. John O'Reilly, the club's media spokesman, stated, "We had superstars in the United States but nothing at the level of Pelé. Everyone wanted to touch him, shake his hand, get a photo with him."<ref>{{cite news |first=Gavin |last=Newsham |title=When Pele and Cosmos were kings |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2005/jun/10/sport.comment |date=9 June 2005 |access-date=1 September 2020 |newspaper=The Guardian |archive-date=17 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517012754/http://www.theguardian.com/football/2005/jun/10/sport.comment |url-status=live }}</ref> Though well past his prime at this point, Pelé was credited with significantly increasing public awareness and interest of the sport in the US.<ref name="theG">{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Michael |date=30 September 2017 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/sep/30/pele-soccer-america-new-york-cosmos |title=How Pelé lit up soccer in America and left a legacy fit for a king |work=The Guardian |access-date=14 August 2020 |archive-date=1 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101031643/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/sep/30/pele-soccer-america-new-york-cosmos |url-status=live }}</ref> During his first public appearance in Boston, he was injured by a crowd of fans who had surrounded him and was evacuated on a stretcher.<ref>{{cite news |last=Yaisinis |first=Alex |date=21 June 1975 |title=Swarming Fans Injure Pele |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/06/21/archives/swarming-fans-injure-pele-pele-hurt-when-fans-rush-field.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=5 August 2019 |archive-date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108081643/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/06/21/archives/swarming-fans-injure-pele-pele-hurt-when-fans-rush-field.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Pele debut v tornado.jpg|thumb|upright|Pelé entering the field to play his first game with the Cosmos, 15 June 1975]]

Pelé made his debut for the Cosmos on 15 June 1975 against the [[Dallas Tornado]] at Downing Stadium, scoring one goal in a 2–2 draw.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Michael |date=2 June 2015 |title=40 years on: how New York Cosmos lured Pelé to a football wasteland |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/jun/02/40-years-on-how-new-york-cosmos-lured-pele-to-a-football-wasteland |work=The Guardian |access-date=5 August 2019 |archive-date=18 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118150827/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/jun/02/40-years-on-how-new-york-cosmos-lured-pele-to-a-football-wasteland |url-status=live }}</ref> Pelé opened the door for many other stars to play in North America. [[Giorgio Chinaglia]] followed him to the Cosmos, then [[Franz Beckenbauer]] and his former Santos teammate [[Carlos Alberto Torres|Carlos Alberto]]. Over the next few years other players came to the league, including [[Johan Cruyff]], [[Eusébio]], [[Bobby Moore]], [[George Best]] and [[Gordon Banks]].<ref name="theG" />

In 1975, one week before the [[Lebanese Civil War]], Pelé played a friendly game for the Lebanese club [[Nejmeh SC|Nejmeh]] against a team of [[Lebanese Premier League]] stars,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mepc.org/journal/football-and-politics-shadow-cedars-2000-2015|title=Football and Politics in the Shadow of the Cedars, 2000–2015|website=mepc.org|date=3 June 2018 |publisher=Middle East Policy Council|access-date=18 January 2019|archive-date=8 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108081643/https://mepc.org/journal/football-and-politics-shadow-cedars-2000-2015|url-status=live}}</ref> scoring two goals which were not included in his official tally.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/lebanon-s-national-teams-fly-above-entrenched-sectarianism-among-supporters-1.810861|title=Lebanon's national teams fly above entrenched sectarianism among supporters|website=The National|date=8 January 2019|access-date=18 January 2019|archive-date=8 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108080905/https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/lebanon-s-national-teams-fly-above-entrenched-sectarianism-among-supporters-1.810861|url-status=live}}</ref> On the day of the game, 40,000 spectators were at the stadium from early morning to watch the match.<ref name=":0" />

Pelé led the Cosmos to the [[Soccer Bowl '77|1977 Soccer Bowl]], in his third and final season with the club.{{sfn|Dunmore|2011|p=198}} In June 1977, the Cosmos attracted an NASL record 62,394 fans to [[Giants Stadium]] for a 3–0 victory past the [[Tampa Bay Rowdies]] with a 37-year-old Pelé scoring a hat-trick. In the first leg of the quarter-finals, they attracted a US record crowd of 77,891 for what turned into an 8–3 rout of the [[Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983)|Fort Lauderdale Strikers]] at Giants Stadium. In the second leg of the semi-finals against the [[Rochester Lancers (1967–1980)|Rochester Lancers]], the Cosmos won 4–1.<ref name="theG"/> Pelé finished his official playing career on 28 August 1977, by leading the New York Cosmos to their second Soccer Bowl title with a 2–1 win over the [[Seattle Sounders (1974–83)|Seattle Sounders]] at the [[Civic Stadium (Portland, Oregon)|Civic Stadium]] in [[Portland, Oregon]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Gustkey |first=Earl |date=28 August 1999 |title=Pele's Contributions Gave Soccer a Foothold |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-aug-28-sp-4571-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=17 September 2021 |archive-date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108082158/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-aug-28-sp-4571-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 1 October 1977, Pelé closed out his career in an exhibition match between the Cosmos and Santos. The match was played in front of a sold-out crowd at Giants Stadium and was televised in the US on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[Wide World of Sports (U.S. TV series)|Wide World of Sports]]'' as well as throughout the world. Pelé's father and wife both attended the match, as well as [[Muhammad Ali]] and Bobby Moore.{{sfn|Freedman|2014|p=165}} Delivering a message to the audience before the start of the game – "Love is more important than what we can take in life" – Pelé played the first half with the Cosmos, the second with Santos. The game ended with the Cosmos winning 2–1, with Pelé scoring with a 30-yard free-kick for the Cosmos in what was the final goal of his career. During the second half, it started to rain, prompting a Brazilian newspaper to come out with the headline the following day: "Even The Sky Was Crying."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/10/02/archives/love-love-love-cries-pele-to-75646-in-farewell-love-love-cries-pele.html|title='Love! Love! Love!' Cries Pele to 75,646 in Farewell|newspaper=The New York Times|date=2 October 1977|access-date=13 August 2020|archive-date=8 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108080905/https://www.nytimes.com/1977/10/02/archives/love-love-love-cries-pele-to-75646-in-farewell-love-love-cries-pele.html|url-status=live}}</ref>