It’s no secret that both Pele and Diego Maradona are two of the greatest soccer players of all time. Both legends had a tremendous impact on the game of soccer, and we can still see their influence today, even though they are no longer with us.

While America got to witness Pele in the final years of his soccer career in their nation, they were really close to also witnessing the greatness of Diego Maradona on their soil. The NASL (North American Soccer League) club, New York Cosmos, tried to bring in the then-teen talent Maradona in 1979. The young Argentine prodigy was making strides in the world of soccer.

However, they failed to do so due to a very bizarre reason. Here’s the story of how it all unfolded.

Diego Maradona nearly played for New York Cosmos

It all started when Stephen Jay Ross, the founder, and president of the New York Cosmos, heard of Maradona’s talents and made moves toward signing him. Ross sent Eddie Firmani, the head coach of the Cosmos, on a scouting trip to Argentina to check out the teen talent. Firmani was given a blank check to sign Maradona if he was impressed with what he saw.

Unfortunately, Firmani got stuck in traffic on the way to the game and only arrived during halftime. Because of this, Firmani only saw Maradona play for a half. The coach was not impressed with what he saw, as the opposition tightly marked Maradona and didn’t get to display his full abilities. Firmani eventually returned without signing the Argentine.

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There’s also another version of this story. In this, Firmani met Diego Maradona but simply just didn’t want to acquire him. Shortly later, Firmani left the American club and in 1982, Maradona signed with Barcelona. The New York Cosmos can at least take solace in the fact that they got to witness another G.O.A.T in their stadium.

Pele in New York Cosmos

While New York Cosmos failed to sign Maradona, they signed Pele. When the Brazilian signed with the New York Cosmos in 1975, it was a shock to the soccer world. The Brazilian legend had announced his retirement the year before but decided to come out of retirement for a three-season contract with the Cosmos.

This was a big deal because Pele was considered a national treasure in Brazil and wasn’t allowed to play club soccer outside Brazil. However, his final year with the Cosmos was an enormous success, helping the NASL gain massive attention. While also helping put America on the map as a serious soccer nation. Pele also believed his influence was so big that he once also took credit for US National Team’s Success.

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After his contract with the Cosmos ended, Pele retired from soccer for good in 1977. But his legacy with the team lives on. What are your thoughts on this? Would you have loved to see Diego Maradona in America? Let us know in the comments.