The New York Cosmos (also known as simply the Cosmos) are a professional soccer club based in Paterson, New Jersey.[discuss] The club is majority-owned by Baye Adofo-Wilson, and plans to field a men's team in the third-divisionUSL League One in 2026.[1] It is the third iteration of the Cosmos, after the original team, which played from 1971 to 1985, and its immediate predecessor, which played parts of six seasons between 2013 and 2020.
With Major League Soccer's (MLS) rise at the turn of the century, the league sought a second club in the New York metropolitan area alongside the New York Red Bulls, preferably one that could revive the Cosmos name.[8][9][10] A group funded by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia bought the Cosmos name and logo in 2010 with ambitions to play in MLS, but shortly thereafter declined the league's offer to join (New York City FC would take the spot). They joined instead the second-division NASL revival starting in the second half of the 2013 season.[11][12] Despite winning the league three times, the second Cosmos organization was plagued by low attendance and poor financial management[13][14][15] and went on two prolonged hiatuses; once in 2017 after the revived NASL folded, and again in 2021 following half a season in the third-division National Independent Soccer Association.[16] The second Cosmos continued to exist as a legal entity and occasional clothing brand, and were involved in the NASL's unsuccessful lawsuit against the MLS and U.S. Soccer over a sanctioning dispute.[17]
Foundation
After obtaining franchise rights for a USL League One team in February 2025,[18][19]North Jersey Pro Soccer, a group based in the city of Paterson, New Jersey led by Baye Adofo-Wilson, purchased a majority stake in the Cosmos[20][21] and full ownership of the club's intellectual property, intending to apply the name and logo to their new team.[20][21] The Cosmos branding was unveiled in July.[22] The club plans to field a men's team into USL League One in its 2026 season, and possibly a women's team at some point in the future.[21][23][24]
The first coach in the club's history was announced in September 2025 to be Davide Corti.[25] He is the ninth head coach of the various New York Cosmos clubs, and the first Italian.
Organization
The club is owned by real estate developer Baye Adofo-Wilson and former Red Bull and second Cosmos executive Erik Stover. Rocco B. Commisso, who had held the rights to the Cosmos' name and identity from 2017 onwards and is the majority owner of Serie A's ACF Fiorentina, is a minority owner of the club through his company New York Cosmos LLC.[21] In July 2025, Giuseppe Rossi, a New Jersey native who would go on to play 30 times for the Italian national football team, joined the club as a vice chairman and director of soccer.[26][27]
Although the Cosmos will "nominally identify with New York", the club plans to focus on developing soccer in New Jersey.[21] "I believe that the real magic will be the players that we’re able to develop here in the Paterson area, in the North Jersey area," said Rossi.[1] Stover explained that before the Cosmos was formed the state of New Jersey had only one professional soccer club for a population of 9.5 million people, and also pointed proudly to the number of New Jersey and Patterson natives who had been hired by the club.[21]
When the branding of the New York Cosmos was announced in July 2025, it was revealed that the club would be utilizing a more modernized approach to the classic crest, still retaining the typical green, yellow, and blue color scheme used by the two former Cosmos clubs.[28] The name "New York" was dropped, leaving only the moniker "Cosmos" on the badge.[29][30] Although the club retains the place name officially, it will often be referred to simply as the "Cosmos" to emphasize its connection with northern New Jersey.[31]
New Jersey-based sportswear company Capelli Sport will supply the team's uniforms and training gear.[1]
Stadium
Hinchliffe Stadium (pictured) before it was redeveloped, with Great Falls in the foreground.
↑ "FAQ". nycosmos.com. The New York Cosmos. Retrieved July 30, 2025. The Cosmos men will kick off in spring 2026, and the professional women's team will begin play in the coming years. More details regarding the women's side will be available soon.
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