Pelé Pandemonium brought thousands and thousands of fans to Giants Stadium in 1977.

The Cosmos game against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers brought 78,000 fans to East Rutherford on Aug. 14, 1977.

Long before Messi Mania descended on Miami, Florida, the Tri-State had Pelé Pandemonium.

The late soccer great came to the United States in June 1975 to star for the New York Cosmos. A global star with a name as recognizable as Coca-Cola, Pelé and a team packed with overseas talent outdrew the New York Giants when the latter's then-new home stadium opened in East Rutherford in 1977.

Giants Stadium is long gone. Its replacement, MetLife Stadium, now towers over the same Meadowlands swampland. In the summer of 2025, the newer venue will host matches for one of the most prestigious club tourna

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