North American Soccer League (1968–1984)
Player Position NASL years NASL club ( s ) Accolades ( pre-NASL )
Pelé FW 1975-1977 New York Cosmos Three World Cup championships with Brazil in 1958 , 1962 , 1970 ; 1973 South American Footballer of the Year
Carlos Alberto DF 1977-1982 New York Cosmos ; California Captained Brazil to victory at the 1970 World Cup
Elías Figueroa DF 1981 Fort Lauderdale South American Footballer of the Year in 1974 , 1975 , and 1976
Alan Ball , Jr MF 1978-1980 Philadelphia ; Vancouver Set up two Hurst goals at the 1966 World Cup Final ; Played at the 1970 World Cup
Gordon Banks GK 1977-78 Fort Lauderdale GK for England during their 1966 World Cup championship run ; Six-time FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year
Geoff Hurst FW 1976 Seattle Scored a hat trick for England at the 1966 World Cup Final ; 1968 Euro All-Star Team
Bobby Moore DF 1976 ; 1978 San Antonio ; Seattle Captained England to victory at the 1966 World Cup
Peter Beardsley FW 1982-83 Vancouver Whitecaps England International
Franz Beckenbauer DF 1977-1980 ; 1983 New York Cosmos Captained West Germany to victory at the 1974 World Cup
Gerd Muller FW 1979-1981 Fort Lauderdale 1970 European Footballer of the Year ; Scored 10 goals at the 1970 World Cup ; 1974 World Cup winner
Roberto Bettega FW 1983-84 Toronto Blizzard Named to the 1978 World Cup All-Star Team ; Ranked third on Juventus ' career goals scored ( # 2 at time of retirement )
Johan Cruyff MF 1979-1981 Los Angeles Aztecs ; Washington Diplomats Led the Netherlands to the 1974 World Cup final ; European Footballer of the Year award in 1971 , 1973 , and 1974
Ruud Krol DF 1980 Vancouver Whitecaps Captain of the Netherlands team that reached the 1978 World Cup Final
Johan Neeskens MF 1979-1984 New York Cosmos Reached World Cup finals with the Netherlands in 1974 and 1978 ; Named to the 1974 World Cup All-Star Team ; Won 3 European Cups with Ajax from 1971-1973
Rob Rensenbrink MF 1980 Portland Winner of the 1976 Onze d'Or ; Reached World Cup finals with the Netherlands in 1974 and 1978 ; Second leading scorer at the 1978 World Cup
Wim Suurbier DF 1979-1983 Los Angeles Aztecs ; San Jose Earthquakes Reached World Cup finals with the Netherlands in 1974 and 1978 ; Won 3 European Cups with Ajax from 1971-1973
George Best MF 1976-1982 Los Angeles Aztecs ; Fort Lauderdale ; San Jose 1968 European Footballer of the Year
Julio César Romero MF 1980-1983 New York Cosmos 1979 Copa América winner with Paraguay ; 1985 South American Footballer of the Year
Teófilo Cubillas FW/MF 1979-1983 Fort Lauderdale Named Best Young Player of 1970 World Cup ; 1972 South American Footballer of the Year ; Scored 5 goals in two different World Cups ( 1970 , 1978 ) Named to 1978 World Cup All-Star Team
Kazimierz Deyna MF 1981-1984 San Diego Sockers Top scorer at the 1972 Olympics ; Member of Poland team that finished 3rd at the 1974 World Cup ; Won the Bronze Ball as the 3rd best player at the 1974 World Cup
Players
See also : Category : North American Soccer League ( 1968–84 ) players The NASL brought some of the world 's best soccer players to the United States . The trend started early as players such as Vavá , Peter McParland , Rubén Marino Navarro , Co Prins and Juan Santisteban appeared in the league in 1968 . However , after the Cosmos signed Pele in 1975 , the number of famous names increased during the NASL 's peak during the late 1970s and early 1980s . In fact , 20 of the 44 World Cup Best XI selections between 1966 and 1978 spent time in the NASL . At one time NASL squads fielded the captains of the past three World Cup-winning teams—Beckenbauer ( 1974 ) , Alberto ( 1970 ) , and Moore ( 1966 ) . Of the European Footballer of the Year awards from 1965 to 1976 , eight of the twelve awards—Eusébio ( 1965 ) , Best ( 1968 ) , Muller ( 1970 ) , Cruyff ( 1971 , '73 , '74 ) , Beckenbauer ( 1972 , '76 ) —were given to players who went on to play in NASL . In addition , several players went on to greater acclaim after leaving the NASL , among them Peter Beardsley , Bruce Grobbelaar , Julio César Romero , Hugo Sánchez and Graeme Souness . Two players appeared in both the NASL and MLS , spanning a 12-year gap in North American professional soccer : Hugo Sánchez and Roy Wegerle . [ 54 ]
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It was the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the United States. The league final was called the Soccer Bowl from 1975 to 1983 and the Soccer Bowl Series in its final year, 1984. The league was headed by Commissioner Phil Woosnam from 1969 to 1983. The league's popularity peaked in the late 1970s. The league averaged over 13,000 fans per game in each season from 1977 to 1983, and the league's matches were broadcast on network television from 1975 to 1980. The league's most prominent team was the New York Cosmos. During the mid-to-late 1970s, the Cosmos signed a number of the world's best players - Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto - and the Cosmos averaged over 28,000 fans for each season from 1977 to 1982 while having three seasons of the average attendance topping 40,000 spectators per game. Other internationally well-known players in the league included Giorgio Chinaglia, Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Gerd Müller, George Best, and Rodney Marsh. The league additionally sanctioned indoor soccer in various tournament forms in 1971, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979 and 1983, and in a season format in 1979-80, 1980-81, 1981-82 and 1983-84.