World Cup 2026: The rebirth of the New York Cosmos

The New York Cosmos were the original Galacticos, the ultimate glamour club and now they’re back in 2026.

Lee James tells the story of the original club, which was founded in the 1970s and featured star players like Pele, before charting their rebirth in 2026.

He discovers the impact the Brazilian legend Pele had both on and off the pitch. Hearing from former teammates, including goalkeeper Eddie Edgar, finds out how celebrity fans including Mick Jagger followed the team, and learns about the cultural impact the Cosmos also had on the United States.

Lee also attends a training session at the new Cosmos club as they return to professional soccer and speaks to the former Manchester United forward Guiseppe Rossi, who is the Cosmos head of soccer and Erik Stover the CEO who tell us why competing in a league with promotion and relegation will change the domestic game in the US.

More than the Score brings you more than the men’s football World Cup - the new teams, standout stars, trends and fandoms shaping the tournament in ways the stats don’t show. With 48 teams competing across Mexico, the US and Canada, BBC World Service promises to take you deeper - from the group stages to the final. Search for More than the Score wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

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Episoder(231)

World Cup 2026: Will Messi and Argentina lift the trophy again?

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World Cup 2026: Can anyone stop Mbappe’s France?

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14 Jul 19min

World Cup 2026: The refugee stars at the World Cup

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13 Jul 28min

A golden age of Italian tennis

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12 Jul 38min

World Cup 2026: Norway can surprise England - Olympic great Johannes Klaebo

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11 Jul 17min

Ghostwriting: How to tell someone else's story

Athletes' memoirs and autobiographies are among the biggest-selling books around the world each year - but often, the words aren't entirely their own. Many sports stars work with 'ghostwriters' - prof...

11 Jul 17min